Is Composting Possible in an Apartment?

Composting is one of the best tools for anyone who loves their plants or wants to reduce their carbon footprint. The humble compost bin breaks down your food scraps, creating nutrient-rich fertiliser and saving your rubbish from ending up in harmful landfills. And composting isn’t just for the people who own an acre of land – it can be done in just about any home, including apartments. All you really need to start producing compost is a few plastic bins and a dark, room-temperature spot to keep them! In this article, we’re going to cover the basics of composting for anyone who lives in an apartment.

• Does Compost Smell?

The first question on your mind is probably about whether or not your compost bin will smell.

The good news is that compost doesn’t smell when it’s done properly. The bacteria in compost break down organic matter and produce methane and carbon dioxide as a byproduct. Proper composting conditions mostly produce small amounts of carbon dioxide and almost no methane, meaning your compost should smell like rich soil and not much else. Keeping your compost smelling fresh is mostly about maintaining its moisture and temperature levels, so even indoor compost bins shouldn’t smell bad.

• Choose the Right Type of Composter

Before you can begin composting, you’ll need somewhere to put your scraps. There are a few main types of composters suitable for apartment living:

Worm Composters. Earthworms are your best friend for composting. They move through the scraps, eating the material, and turning and aerating the soil as they go. Worm composters are by far the easiest way of producing high-quality compost in an apartment, and you can find instructions on how to make your own bins if you’d like to save a bit of money.

Compost Tumblers. If you can get your body corporate’s permission to place a compost bin in a courtyard or shared green space, then the classic compost tumbler might be for you. Compost tumblers are too large to have inside your apartment, but they’re a simple solution for keeping your compost freshly turned and increasing the speed of decomposition.

Compact Food Digesters. Food digesters are an electric countertop composting appliance. They use special probiotic additives and grinding blades to turn kitchen scraps into compost within hours. You might spend a little more on buying the digester than with the other methods, but they’re a great idea if you don’t have anywhere else to place a composting bin.

• What Goes Into Compost?

Compost bins are the ideal place to dispose of a range of scraps and rubbish from around the home. The types of matter that can go into your compost bin are typically broken into “brown” and “green” groups. With the right balance of brown and green materials, your compost bin will produce quality fertiliser without making any unwanted smells.

Green compostables include: Fruit and vegetable scraps, Coffee grounds, Tea leaves and tea bags, Fresh grass or plant material, Human and pet hair.

Brown compostables include: Dry grass or plant material, Newspaper, cardboard and paper towels, egg shells, Plastics certified or home composting

If you’re using a countertop food digester, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on what can and can’t go into the machine.

• Using Your Apartment’s Compost

Whether you’re using a high-tech food digester or a classic worm composting bin, the result will be nutrient-dense compost that your plants love. The compost you make is the perfect soil additive for house plants, potted herbs and the landscaping around your apartment building. Anything that doesn’t get used right away can simply be stored in a container and used later when your plants need a boost. Alternatively, you could look into joining a community garden – they’d be thrilled to have any high-quality compost you can supply.

Otherwise, unused compost can go in the bin. You’ve already done the hard work and broken down your kitchen scraps in the most environmentally friendly way, so anything that’s leftover can safely go into landfill.

Ready to Make the Switch to Apartment Living? Contact Amazing Apartments Today!

Apartment living offers fantastic lifestyle options that can’t be accessed any other way. And, for those who love their plants and gardens, apartment composting is an easy way to keep your space looking green and bright! If you’ve been thinking about buying an apartment or selling the one you already live in, the Amazing Apartments team would love to help. We’re Brisbane’s apartment specialists. As part of our process, we take the time to match each of our clients with the apartment that best suits their needs. So, if you’re looking for an apartment with plenty of room for all your plants, get in touch with us today and find out what we can do for you!