How To Make A Kitchen Compost Bin: Complete Guide

Composting allows you to divert food waste from landfills while simultaneously reducing environmental impacts, creating rich fertilizer for plants. But carrying it all out daily is no fun; so here comes the kitchen compost bin! With this container you can collect food scraps inside until they can be transferred out to an outdoor compost pile.

This blog provides both inspiration and knowledge on how to make a kitchen compost bin. From upcycled containers to ventilation tips, this will be your key to becoming an expert at kitchen composting!

Why Kitchen Composting?

Before we dive in with DIY, let’s first consider some benefits associated with having our own kitchen compost bin.

• Reduces Landfill Waste: Composting can significantly decrease landfill waste by diverting food scraps away from landfills, helping reduce methane emissions while saving space in our environment.
• Nutritious Fertilizer from Food Scraps: Food scraps can be transformed into nutrient rich fertilizer that’s great for growing plants. Furthermore, making your own fertilizer will save money as it cuts costs associated with store bought options.
• Easy to Use: For those with limited outdoor space looking to compost, the kitchen compost bin provides a simple way of doing so.

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Finding Your DIY Kitchen Compost Bin

DIY compost bins for kitchens offer great flexibility. You can turn a variety of containers into attractive and useful bins. Here are some popular options.

• Upcycled Canisters: Give old containers such as metal canisters and plastic buckets new life by upcycling them as upcycled canisters.
•  Crocks in Ceramic: Ceramic options may look more appealing but you should ensure that there is adequate ventilation.
• Wooden Bins: While wood can be an attractive material for kitchen compost bins, extra care must be taken to protect it from moisture damage and odors.

Table: Pros and Cons for Different Kitchen Compost Bin Material

Material	Pros	The Cons of Using
Upcycled Containers	Affordable and easily available	Can be unattractive
Ceramic Crocks	Stylish, durable	Can be costly
Wooden Bins	Natural look	Maintaining the system to avoid moisture damage or odors

Note: Make sure you choose a container with tight-fitting lids to contain odors and keep fruit flies at bay.

Building Your Kitchen Compost Bin

Now let’s get creative! Here’s how to transform any container into an effective compost bin for kitchen use.

• Air circulation: is essential to successful composting, make sure to drill several 1/4-inch diameter holes into both the lid and, if possible, lower section of your container to maximize air circulation and provide optimal airflow.

• Optionally Line Your Bin’s Bottom (Optional): For optimal performance, consider lining your bin’s bottom with newspaper or cardboard shreds ripped up, to absorb moisture and prevent scraps from gathering at its base. This will also absorb excess dust.

• Optional Charcoal Filter: For added odor control, consider installing an optional charcoal filter into your lid. These can usually be found at pet shops; cut it to size before attaching with hot glue for optimal performance.

• Label Your Bin Optional: Create a label to help remind yourself what belongs in your bin (compostables), and what doesn’t (meat, dairy products etc.).

Pro Tip – Choose a metal container equipped with drainage holes at its base; place this bin over a small tray, and any excess liquid will be captured by gravity.

Kitchen Composting 101

Are You Ready to Compost Now? Here Are a Few Key Pointers

• Acceptable Scraps: Eggshells, fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds/filters/tea bags/nut shells and tea filters are great additions to a compost bin.

• Inacceptable Items: Meat and dairy products should never be added as these may attract pests while decompose too slowly resulting in increased maintenance needs for your bin.

• Chop it Up! Break down scraps into smaller pieces to accelerate composting.

• Aim for Balance: Strive for an equal mix of brown (carbon rich) materials such as paper/cardboard scraps and green (nitrogen rich) materials like food waste for optimal composting results.

• Moisture Is Critical – Proper composting requires maintaining a balanced moisture balance. If your mixture becomes too wet, add brown materials such as shredded papers to add bulk. If too dry, try adding water or kitchen waste with high moisture levels as a remedy.

• Give It a Stir: Give your compost a stir every few days using a wooden spoon or trowel, which will aerate and hasten decomposition. Emptying Your Kitchen Compost Bin

Transfer any filled kitchen compost bins directly into an outdoor pile when full; here’s how.

• Timing: To minimize fruit fly and odor issues, empty your bin before it begins decomposing. Do every 3-5 days depending on its fill rate to protect itself.

• Transferring Treasure: To transfer any treasure, remove all large and no compostable materials first, as they might take longer for their decay to take effect in an outdoor pile. These should then be added back later when the time is right.

• Compost Power: For optimal composting success, combine kitchen scraps with organic materials such as leaves, branches and yard trimmings in an outdoor compost pile to form an environment which promotes diverse and healthy composting. No Outdoor Space? No Worries!

No Outdoor Space? No Problem

No need to fret if your indoor space doesn’t allow for composting; indoor composting can still be accomplished!

• Worm Composting: worm composting involves using worms to break down food waste. While this method requires specific setup requirements, it’s an ideal option for those living in smaller living spaces.

• Bokashi: Bokashi is an anaerobic fermentation process using sealed containers to process food scraps into compost for use either directly in gardens after curing, or added directly to an outdoor compost pile. When properly maintained, Bokashi compost piles produce materials suitable for outdoor compost piles and gardens alike.

Troubleshooting Your Kitchen Compost Bin

Composters of all levels can face challenges when managing their process, here are some solutions for common issues.

1. Odors & Flies: Make sure that your bins are regularly emptied, have proper ventilation, and use a charcoal filter to reduce odors. Moisture Issues: If your bin is too moist, add brown materials like shredded papers; otherwise mist with water or add food scraps that have more moisture content.

2. Slow decomposition: For optimal composting results, mix brown and green materials together in equal proportions. Also ensure larger scraps are chopped up into manageable sizes before stirring your compost regularly to provide air circulation and promote decomposition.

Kitchen Composting

An Enlightening Experience Composting can be an immensely satisfying journey! By building and using a DIY compost bin in the kitchen, you will reduce waste going to landfills while also creating fertilizer rich with nutrients for plants.

An important step toward living sustainably! Grab upcycled containers from around your home, drill ventilation holes for ventilation purposes and begin your kitchen composting adventures today!

Bonus Tip – Share your kitchen composting journey with friends and family! The more people who participate, the greater its positive effect will be on our environment.

Frequently Asked Questions about How to make a kitchen compost bin

Also Read: Keep Fruit Flies Out Of Your Kitchen Compost Bin