When food scraps and garden waste decompose, they become compost which will add nutrients to your soil. Removing food scraps from your household waste keeps them out of landfill where they can produce excessive methane and pollute underground waterways. Another benefit is that It’s likely you won’t have to take your rubbish out as often, and it probably won’t smell as bad either!
The good news is you don’t need a lot of space to compost, and there’s plenty of options to choose from depending on your living arrangements and lifestyle.
Before you begin
Assess which option is most realistic for you and your household. Do you have access to a balcony or garden? How much time do you have to manage your compost? Are their support services or community groups in your local area?
You’ll also need a small container to keep in the kitchen where you can toss your scraps while you’re cooking. A takeaway container or ice cream tub will do nicely.
Worm farms
Worm farms are a great option for apartments with a shady balcony or terrace area. They consist of a multi-tiered box where worms eat and digest your organic food scraps, including egg shells and coffee grounds. This environment needs to be kept warm and moist , and include a balance of carbon-rich materials such as shredded newspaper. Once the whole process is in full swing, your worms will produce a rich worm juice which is terrific liquid fertiliser for all your plants – just dilute it with water about 10-1.
Note! Worms don’t like citrus (oranges, lemons, etc), pineapple, onion,garlic, meat or dairy – so keep these things out. Turn your worm farm over every now and again to get some oxygen in there.
For further info on maintaining a worm farm, Compost Revolution has some great online trainings, hints and tips.
Compost bins
You can make a compost bin out of just about anything – you can create a contained pile at the back of the garden, or (recommended) invest in an optimised, designed version from your local garden centre or nursery. This composting option is best for people with bigger families and gardens. Try to add a good mixture of food waste, garden waste and leaves, and make sure you dig them over every now and again, keep them moist and in a warm position. Watering twice a week is ideal. Once again, avoid adding citrus, meat and diary as it will attract vermin.
Council support
Lots of councils around Australia run incentive programs and discounts to get worm farms and compost bins into local homes. It’s often easy to sign-up online and have your worm farm kit or other resources and equipment sent directly to your home. We recommend getting in touch with your local council to find out what support services they offer in your area.
Check if your council is offering a discount on worm farms or composts through Compost Revolution.
Share the love
Don’t have the space or time to maintain a worm farm or compost bin? All good – you can still donate your organic waste towards someone else’s compost heap or a shared community garden. Share Waste is a great platform for facilitating this donation – you can also try searching for local crop swaps or community gardens on social media or online.
Join the Plant Life Balance community – sign up to our newsletter for fortnightly inspiration and tips, and post your plants online using #myplantlifebalance.
