Serious question, my friend's balcony in Chicago changed how I see composting

I saw their small worm bin handling all their scraps without any smell, even in a 600 square foot place. It proved you don't need a yard or a big setup to make it work. Has anyone else switched to worms after thinking it was too messy for an apartment?

3 comments

3 Comments

sandralee1mo ago

Lol is anyone actually doing worm bins in apartments for real? Paul_webb45 has a point, that sounds like a huge pain for basically no payoff. You're gonna have a box of dirt and food scraps in your living space, and for what? A handful of compost you can't even use unless you have plants? Just freeze your scraps and drop them off once a week, it takes five minutes. The whole worm thing seems like performative eco stuff when easier options exist.

paul_webb451mo ago

But have you actually tried to keep one going through a Chicago winter? My cousin did this and it was a constant fight to keep the worms alive near the window. It turned into a sad, expensive science project with dead worms and fruit flies everywhere. That tiny bin can't handle a real week's worth of scraps for two people either. It sounds good in theory but it's way more hassle than just using the building's compost drop-off if you have one.

derek_dixon781mo ago

Honestly I had the exact same doubts until I just went for it with a small bin in my closet. Mine stays under the sink and handles all our veggie scraps for two people with zero smell, just gotta keep the bedding right and not overfeed. The fruit flies were a pain at first but a layer of dry leaves on top fixed that completely.