Section 2: Zero Waste Kitchen & Food
Composting:
Choosing the Right Method
Quick Links
Choosing Your Composting Method
There’s a composting for beginners solution for every home, from apartments to houses with yards.
City/Municipal Programs
Easy Solution
- What it is: Curbside collection provided by your municipality (green bin).
- Best for: People seeking the absolute lowest effort.
- How it works: You collect all food scraps (and sometimes meat/dairy) in a small countertop caddy and transfer it to the larger outdoor green bin for weekly pickup. The city handles the rest.
More Info
Countertop Composters
Best for Apartments
What it is: Electric devices that quickly dry, grind, and heat food scraps. They produce a sterilized, nutrient-rich soil amendment in hours.
Best for: Small living spaces, or those who want a completely odorless, fast process without managing a traditional outdoor pile.
How it works: Toss your scraps in and press start. This is a great way to do food waste reduction indoors.
Outdoor Composting Bins
Traditional Home Composting
- What it is:
A designated outdoor bin, tumbler, or pile where you manually layer Greens and Browns. - Best for:
Homeowners with a small to medium yard who want to produce their own free soil amendment. - How it works:
Collect scraps indoors, then regularly layer them with dry materials outside. You need to “turn” (mix) the pile weekly to ensure aeration, which speeds up decomposition.