[duffystar]

I have a question about composting--does anyone have any suggestions or advice or recommended bins to use when beginning to compost in a small apartment with a tiny yard?

[Matc]

This is a UK site but there may be some useful things on it http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/

[horselover]

I've known people who live in apartments with balconies to purchase very small composters, left on the balcony, so it's possible to find something small enough to work. It's all a matter of finding one that fits.

[flaja]

If you have limited space and need to compost only kitchen scraps (no meat, bone or fat) use vermicomposting, i.e., worms. Consult the book Worms eat my Garbage.

If you are composting things like leaf and lawn clippings a open pile is best for aeration. Whatever you do don't use a container with solid sides since you will get anerobic (without oxygen) digestion (think swamp muck) and not compost. A good compost pile needs a certain ratio of green material (to provide nitrogen) and brown material (to provide carbon), but I cannot remember the ratio right off. You should also turn the compost on a weekly basis if you want useable compost as soon as possible.

[juana]

Vermicomposting like was mentioned it great, should produce no odours and is easy and low -cost to start up.

You can also check out various websites to order apartment model indoor composters

or helpful hints for composting in apartments such as:

http://www.toronto.ca/compost/balcony.htm

http://journeytoforever.org/compost_indoor.html


if you do however have a small space in your yard where you can compost, a non-treated wood composter is much more preferable over a plastic composter. The quality of your compost will be much greater, you will get to spend time composting outside, and see how the process happens. Plus it will have contact with the earth which is much more favourable than contact with plastic. (This is with regards to apartment composter models, but vermicomposting is still a great way to do it)

hope this helps a bit

happy composting=

[consciousevolution]

thanks for the links...thats good stuff

[horselover]

Read the article I posted in the off topic board about worms in the workplace. Acording to the article, they're good for composting. Maybe that would work too.