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If I live in an apartment, how can I put my food waste to compost? (feddit.online)

submitted 6 days ago by Binzy_Boi@feddit.online to c/zerowaste

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Hey all,

In my recent post about popcorn kernels, I had a comment suggest that I could also just put the leftover kernels or stale popcorn to use for compost.

This has been something I've been thinking of for a while now. Guilty as charged, I've let good food spoil in my fridge while I've been figuring out what to do with it. While this has been getting better as I've been learning more vegan substitutions as I'm new to being vegan, as well as home cooking in general, I don't want to throw my food waste in with the garbage as I have been doing for eons now when situations arise where something spoils on me.

My issue is that, while I was taught how composting works in school, they only ever taught us how to do so if we lived in a detached home that had a backyard. I have always lived in apartment buildings, and currently am living on a second floor apartment unit. While my city does allow for people to separate food waste from other garbage and recycling, and even encourages it, my current building does not have a designated area for food waste.

What options are available to me when it comes to disposing of food waste so that in the end, my waste isn't quite "waste"? I should also likely add that I live in an area with a colder climate where winter (which is coming up soon here) often hits -30 C.

Thanks in advance!

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[–] pseudo@jlai.lu 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

I still exploring the option that fit my specific lifestyle with many contraint including living the appartement with not access to a close composting post and here are the ~~two~~ three options that I find interesting :

Freezing your waste until a not-so-frequent trip to the composting site further away. You need a freezer with enough space.
Do vermicomposting. It is basically raising worm inside a specifically shape compost bin. They eat your waste quickly so there is no smell and can live inside. But they don't eat meat waste.
Do Bokashi. It is not an actual composting method but an anaerobic fermentation method. No smell, no bug, ni rotten attracted. But you have to have two bins to rotated them, filling one as the other ferment. The ferment result will turn into dirt buried in a (big) pot in just three week. Alternatively, you can feed it your worm or a classic compost ; it will boost them. You'll need to buy a fermentation starter and not to put rotten or moldy food to not change the bacteria working. Later, you'll use already fermented Bokashi to start the next batch.

[–] Binzy_Boi@feddit.online 2 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Someone else suggested going to a composting site, but freezing the waste wasn't mentioned. This seems like a step in the right direction, but still worried about it thawing during the trip and the wastewater leaking through the bag, causing a mess and disturbing other bus passengers with the smell.

Never had it happen with waste bags, but I've seen a few times where people (my family included growing up) would bring in bagged bottles and cans to return for bottle deposit, and the bus drivers were never pleased when the bags leaked.

[–] salvaria@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 6 days ago

Could you maybe use a bucket to transport it? Something with a resealable lid? This way, no liquid or unpleasant smells can escape the container

[–] pseudo@jlai.lu 3 points 6 days ago

If your freeze your waste right away you will not get much smell, nothing more that what you got when it was "fresh". But yeah leaking liquid migh be an issue. You know better that anyone else if this solution can fit your lifestyle.