A green tip from A Fresh Squeeze | Turn Your Waste into Compost

[REPOST from A Fresh Squeeze]

Turn Your Waste into Compost

Operation: Worm Bins

According to the EPA, Americans throw away 4.6 pounds of trash per person per day – or almost a ton each year. An estimated 25-40% of that waste could be composted, and kept out landfills, but less 5% actually is. You’ve probably heard about the benefits of composting, but large outdoor composting bins are often impractical for residents of an apartment or condominium. So what’s a city-dweller to do?

Luckily, Seattle Tilth has the solution: vermiculture, or what’s known as a worm bin. Using worms to decompose organic matter can be a small-scale alternative to a traditional compost pile; instead of using the heat-sensitive microbes that cause compost’s funky smells, properly maintained worm bins can live (inside!) apartments or condos without generating odor or attracting pests.

In worm bins, red wigglers or red earthworms (which are specially adapted to decomposition conditions) happily eat fruit, vegetables, eggshells, pasta, bread, grains, coffee and tea, and newspaper and cardboard – but they can’t digest dairy, meat, or oily foods. Several weeks later, the organic waste has been converted into nutrient-rich fertilizer that can be used for houseplants, lawns, or gardens.

Sound intriguing? We recommend taking a class. Check out Seattle Tilth’s worm bin information page (complete with free classes), or read up at the City Farmer. Once you’re ready, you can find worm bins at Goods For The Planet or at the City of Seattle’s Public Utilities Food Waste Composting site.

Starting a worm bin can seem daunting, but with a little help, it can be a fun project. Just be sure you’ve done the research – because otherwise, you might be opening up a can of worms.