Hi David:

I saw an article of yours online when searching about meat composting.
I have just started composting in the past few years with a bin in my
backyard. It was cool to read about meat composting options.

I will be moving to a downtown area apartment in a couple months, and
have been trying to figure out what to do in order to make this new
residence closer to zero waste, as I do not think I will have the
outdoor box option in the new apartment. Perhaps I can compost on a
little patio, but even then, I don't know where to use the product.

I think it's odd that I can't find better guidance on this topic
seeing as the city dwellers make up a huge portion of the population.

Therefore, I'm curious what an expert like you might recommend. In
case it helps, the apartment is in Denver

Thanks,
D. Z.

I know the feeling of wanting to compost but not having the proper outlet.

I’ve saved banana peels and coffee grounds from the trash while on vacation.

You can’t do this indoors.

What do you do if you don’t have the space to “make compost?”

Personally, my #1 favorite method is to simply find a plant or a tree and feed it the raw organic material.

I’ve tucked plenty of scraps beneath shrubs while camping. I’ve also tossed pistachio shells into the woods, thrown coffee grounds across a lawn and done pretty much ANYTHING with kitchen scraps other than throwing them in the trash.

There’s really no excuse to throw compostable material into a wastebin.

None.

If you’re interested in creating actual compost, setting up a worm bin beneath the kitchen sink is one option. Another option is to save all your scraps for a composting friend. Creating a dedicated bag of scraps that you keep in the freezer will make the process less of a mess.

If you have a local community garden, consider chucking your kitchen scraps into their compost pile. Or ask folks you know if they know of anyone with a pile that might appreciate some donations.

A friend of mine and her husband own a coffee shop next to the Gainesville farmer’s market. Every week she brings me 5-10 gallons worth of coffee grounds which I then feed to my blueberry bushes.

It always seems like there’s never enough compost to go around. If you’re in an apartment there’s no need to chuck material that should go back into the ground. Just:

1. Toss it back out into nature

or

2. Compost it in a worm bin

or

3. Give it to a gardening friend

So, there you have it – composting in an apartment is not only possible, it can be easy.

Want to get serious about composting? Pick up a copy of my book Compost Everything: The Good Guide to Extreme Composting. I guarantee you it’ll give you ideas you’ve never had before, even if you’ve composted your entire life!