Set up this simple indoor compost station that your family can use without needing to ask “what goes in here?”
My family is moving to the country and we are giving up our garbage service. Judging by the amount of garbage we’ve created this week as we pack, I’m afraid that I haven’t prepared my family for the reality of composting kitchen scraps.
Of course, one of the first things you learn as you begin to garden are the benefits of composting for improving garden soil. Those kitchen scraps are a big part of it. I’ve been composting for several years on a small scale and have a mini DIY compost bin at the ready, but somehow my family just never caught on to it.
Now that we will have the room outdoors (and the raw materials) I would like to kick it up a notch or two.
It’s easy to compost kitchen scraps
First things first – set up your system. We’ve always had a garbage can under the sink. NO MORE! They are going to have to decide – compost, recycle or burn – when they have something to throw away.
You can purchase a beautiful counter top compost bucket for the scraps. Since I waited until the last possible moment, I’m using what I have on hand.
I set up this simple jug to compost kitchen scraps. With the do’s and don’ts of acceptable materials right on the side. It leaves no room for questions, don’t you think? With one glance they can decide if an item that they would normally throw away is good for the compost bin or recycling.
Every day or two the jug will be emptied into the mini compost bin by the back door. Easy peasy!
The idea to compost kitchen scraps is part of a larger recycling project we are doing at our new home to save money, the environment and improve our garden soil. Check back soon to see our home recycling center and other ways we are cutting down on waste in our family.
Here are some of my favorite composting books. Check your local library or follow these links to Amazon.
Organic Gardener’s Composting by Steve Solomon
Do you compost your kitchen scraps? Tell us about it on our Facebook page or in the comments below and click through to our new Pinterest board – Composting Turn Your Spoil into Soil.
Shared with: Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways – Natural Family Friday – From the Farm Blog Hop –
I compost ‘what’s left’. When you have organic garbage disposals (dog, cat, chickens, llamas), just about anything can be either compost, or dinner, with them. Tea and coffee make the most excellent compost, I might add… One of the few things no one wants to eat!
Cat
Thanks for stopping by Cat! We will be adding chickens to our new homestead in the spring and expect to fully utilize the “organic garbage disposal” method too.
We live in the city and have a compost pile that far exceeds what our teeny tiny gardens can use! I keep explaining to my husband that this is why we *need* chickens (we can legally have three!).
And I had forgotten all about lint! Now that it is Dryer Season again, there is lint again. :/
it’s really useful. Thank you for this i will make the compost at my home.I just posted this on Facebook and my followers really enjoyed it. I browse your site fairly often but I’ve never thought to comment. Anyway, keep up the good work. I really enjoy your posts.
lint…composing of microfibers of nylon and other synthetic materials? Not to mention a chemical witches brew if you still use fabric softener? I don’t think so!