It’s great for the environment, but some people may be wondering if it’s possible to start apartment composting. It absolutely is! I’ve had so many rental apartments and houses in the past few years across 3 cities, and have been regularly composting for 6 years.
In some places, I paid for a service, others it was part of our municipal waste pick up, and I’ve also done it myself. Composting reduces greenhouse gas emissions of food waste. So however you can, I highly recommend that you try it!
Look up compost services in your city
Depending on where you live, you may or may not have composting services available. This is a great way to start composting in a rental. Usually you send out your food scraps, and some programs offer free compost in the spring.
With this, the only compost equipment you need is a large bowl or paper bag you can use for keeping food scraps in the freezer. Or if you’re tight on freezer space, I recommend getting a countertop bin.
Private Composting Services or Local Businesses
When I lived in Detroit, this was a great option that was available to me through Midtown Composting. I paid a few bucks every month and they picked up a bucket of my compost scraps every week. Then in the spring I got a couple free buckets of compost for my garden! I swear, that year my tomatoes were in raised beds and they were 10 ft tall.
Municipal Composting Services
Some cities offer municipal composting with your trash and recycling service. I’ve had access to this for the past few years living in Boulder and Denver, but more cities are starting to offer this. It’s super convenient, but generally they don’t deliver free compost in the spring, or offer free finished compost at all. Check with your city to see what they offer!
If no services are available to you and you live in a rental or apartment, I recommend a table top or home composter.
Apartment composting at home
There are multiple ways to compost within your apartment. This section has the gadgets, the next has the DIY’s.
Electric composters
In my humble opinion, these are SO COOL. You put your food scraps in, push a button, and within a few hours you have basically dehydrated compost. You just sprinkle it on your houseplants, in your apartment garden container soil, or anywhere else you grow plants.
The best at-home electric composter options:
- Lomi Bloom: $499 once + $20/mo subscription for filters and tabs
- Lomi Classic: $399 once + $20/mo subscription for filters and tabs
- LykoClean: $299
- Geme: $799
If you have outdoor space (like a balcony or yard) or garage space, you could also get a tumble composting system, or a worm compost system. I just recommend keeping it somewhat away from living areas to ensure there’s no odor.
The best tumble composter options:
- 7 Cubic Ft Tumble Composter: $220 (just under 3′ long)
- Dual Chamber Tumble Composter: $81 (made with recycled plastic!)
- Jora 4.5 Cubic Ft Composter: $449 (metal outer layer, best for cold climates)
The best vermicompost options for apartments:
- Worm Factory 360: $132
- Jora Vertical Garden Planter and Composter: $404
- Dual Tray Worm Composter: $180→$75 (best and most stylish option for people who have no/very limited outdoor space)
How to DIY compost systems in an apartment
If you have outdoor space you can also easily DIY a compost system.
If you have a yard: All you really need is a shovel. Designate a small part of the yard (away from the house) as a compost bed, and dig a small hole that you can then put food scraps in. Be sure to always cover it with dirt and chop it up/turn it occasionally. You can also get a bin system going, like this.
If you have a balcony/patio: I would recommend a vermicompost setup. All you really need is a plastic buckets with some holes poked in, and worms. However, be sure to keep this setup in the SHADE when it’s outside, and it may need to be brought in during the winter. Worms really thrive best when the temperature is 55-75 degrees. Read more about how to DIY this here.
Why apartment composting is important
Climate change is very real and happening, and while we need systemic change, we also need to be taking individual action. Why? Because personally, taking action helps me feel more motivated because I can see the impact I’m having.
I think that the food system is currently driving climate change. But with a few key changes, food could be a climate solution. Composting is one way that changing how we do food can change the world.
When food scraps and other natural materials decompose in a landfill without oxygen, they produce methane. Methane is 81x more warming than carbon over a 20 year period, and 28x more warming over a 100 year period.
Composting reduces those methane emissions. Food waste accounts for 6% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing food waste is something that each one of us can do, and it also necessitates changes in other areas.
How to take action for structural change in composting:
- Write your city council and ask them to implement composting programs.
- Start a composting business and help your community create and access compost.
- Introduce friends to composting when they see it in action at your house
- Explore Zero Waste clubs or community programs to volunteer with
Find volunteering opportunities in your city with POINT. Download their free app, and then select the causes you’re interested in and nonprofits who work in those areas will be shown in your feed. Sign up to volunteer instantly!
- Write to your state representatives or Congress, asking for funding for composting programs in your area
- Build compost systems at community gardens in your area
- Advocate for your school district to implement composting as part of their education curriculum
My top pick for apartment composting
Lomi Bloom: the best electric composter for an apartment
This is my top pick for at-home composting in an apartment because it’s stylish, can live right on your kitchen counter, and gives you usable compost within hours. Your houseplants will love you. And you can use the compost to feed your apartment garden!
I am super passionate about creating the options we want to see in our food system.
Let me know if you try at-home composting, and how it goes!
