A few years ago I met someone who had a garden and their own compost pile for soil nutrient supplement.  The garden was beautiful, flourishing with fresh tomatoes, squash, kale, peppers, eggplants, raspberries, and more.  I couldn’t help but feel envious…I really wanted to start a garden, but didn’t have the space to do so yet.  

So, instead, I decided to start composting.  I wanted to get ready for the day I could finally grow my own fruits and veggies, as this was also the time I went vegetarian, and with all the cooking I was doing, the veggie scraps started to add up. I was starting to feel really uncomfortable by all the waste I was throwing into the trash, I knew they were being underutilized, and I didn’t want to be a contributor to food waste.

When my search to find a way to build my own compost pile started, I saw tons of DIY ideas of taking a bin, cutting a hole in the bottom, putting it on top of some soil/grass or dead leaves, and just starting.  I knew I had to layer: veggie scraps, brown leaves+sticks+grass trimmings, then veggie scraps, and so on.  But over time, I wasn’t seeing this turn into the gorgeous, self-sufficient compost pile I’d seen serving that garden months prior.  I knew it would take time, but I didn’t have the patience to let the scraps break down into soil nutrition, I didn’t want to mix it all, I wasn’t prepared to tend to the compost itself like you needed to, similar to the tending of a garden. I wasn’t ready for the level of intensity this type of compost pile required of me.  

I gave up for a while…I figured I’d find another method that would work eventually.  And I did! About a year ago, I got a countertop compost bin from Amazon, which has completely changed my life.  Maybe that’s dramatic but seriously, my guilt related to wasting food has diminished so much and I feel like I’m being helpful to an environment which has taken the back burner on the support priority list. 

How a Countertop Compost Bin Works:

Yes, I know it sounds weird– “Why would I put trash on my countertop in a bin?!” Well, a countertop compost bin is a small canister, it usually has a charcoal filter, which basically eliminates any decomposition odors, and it works as an intermediary storage unit before dumping the compost into the brown bins that the city provides.  The bin isn’t larger than any ordinary countertop appliance, so it doesn’t take up valuable space, and it’s also not large enough for the pile up to be significant. For me, it usually takes about 2-3 days to fill completely with scraps before I have to empty it into the brown bins, which means there isn’t enough time for the scraps to start the decomp process, therefore, not really creating any rotting smells.  And even still, the charcoal filter mediates the smells so you wont get weird whiffs as you walk past it.  

One of the best parts of the compost process is that most cities have recycling programs which include the brown bins.  They have pick-up days just like trash and recycling and it’s usually not an added fee on your monthly utility bill.  If you’re in Salt Lake City, here’s the link to request your brown bin if you don’t have one yet!

You might be wondering: “how do I know if this is the right thing for me to do?” Well, this is a great first step. I would recommend getting clear with yourself about how much waste you produce, and determine what percentage of that waste is coming from plants.  Honestly, I would recommend anyone who eats a mostly plant-based diet or whole food diet should have a countertop compost bin.  As a vegetarian, plants are your greatest source of nutrition, but that comes with natural waste like carrot peels, apple cores, avocado skins, wilted greens that aren’t edible anymore.  Instead of throwing these into a traditional trash pile, putting them into a compost bin will help the environment in more ways than one. 

The best part of composting is that it’s usable at the end of the cycle: it gets churned up and disbursed or bought to nourish those soils of which plants we eat, and then the cycle continues.  If you’re not a vegetarian, but consume a lot of vegetables, eggs, coffee/tea, or even have a lot of plants in your home, a countertop compost bin might also be a good addition to your kitchen.  In general, just being aware of your waste production will give you good indications of whether a countertop bin is good for your lifestyle.  

I’m linking various options I love below for you to easily acquire your own bin should you decide to.  There are so many options, ranging in price to aesthetic to functionality.  Definitely do your own research to determine the best type for you.  I personally have this one from Amazon and it works wonderfully.But I love this green one, the terracotta color here, or this Pela high-tech composter which basically does all of the mixing, tending, and breaking down for you. 

Happy Composting!!!!

If you do decide to get one, tag me on IG @ alexjungeee ! I’d love to see your progress!