DIY Apartment Compost Bin

Composting is a great way to go zero waste; disposing of peelings, eggshells and even junk mail.

For me, I live in a townhouse, with no basement or large porch to place an actual compost bin. Not only a space issue, but an indoor compost bin can cost anywhere from $30-100!

I was able to make a counter apartment size compost bin for under $15!

Items

2 Medium Storage Containers, with lids
1 Drill, fully charged
1/2 Bag of Dirt or Potting Soil
1 Container of Worms
Scissors
2 Cups of Water
1 Old Newspaper
Compostable item

Directions

Take the first storage container and drill 2 holes in the bottom, this will help with drainage
The same storage container take the lid and add a series of the hole with the drill
Place the first storage container, the one with the holes, in the second storage container without the holes. This will keep the drainage from leaking out onto the floor or counter
Now take the old newspaper and using your scissors cut the newspaper into small pieces, cover the bottom of the container
Now dump the dirt or potting soil into the container, covering the newspaper clippings, only fill about 1/4 of the bin
Evenly dump the water into your dirt/potting soil mixture
Now add your worms and your compostable items
Add the remaining dirt/potting soil on top of your worms and compostable items
The lid that does not have the holes, place under the bins, the lid with the holes place on top to seal

You should turn your compost every two to three days, depending on how often you add items to your compost bin. We eat a lot of fruit, vegetables, and eggs so we add items to our compost bin every day, so we turn it every evening.

Also, don’t forget that you need to keep the dirt/soil wet, not drenched, just wet. If your compost bin does end up with a lot of water you can add more paper or cardboard.