compost

compost crock, lakeland.co.ukCollecting scraps from the kitchen makes for a nutrient rich addition to the backyard compost bin. You can collect scraps in the kitchen and put them in old yogurt containers under the sink, or you can purchase an attractive composting crock that sits right on the countertop. Compost crocks, as they are called, fit in with the kitchen decor.

They are odorless, attractive, and provide more room than an old yogurt container for storing scraps. The crocks come with either a carbon filter or charcoal in the lid to eliminate odors. Gardeners.com has crocks in cobalt blue and white. They also have ceramic stoneware compost crocks that look like cookie jars! If stoneware is not for you, there are copper pails and stainless steel available, designed for countertop composting. Vat19.com sells their compost pail for 35.95.

If you visit Gardeners.com, check out the liners available in biodegradable cornstarch plastic. Liners make it easy to lift your composting scraps right out of the container without making a mess. Remember, never put cooked food, fish, dairy, meat, or bones into your compost bin.

I was perusing the WorldChanging site today and came across an item about a cool startup company in Bangalore called Daily Dump that has designed a line of innovative clay pots that double as composters and decorative planters. The ambitious company is selling the pots, and also offering a maintenance service for those who don't want to mess with the resulting compost themselves. The company appears to have franchising in mind--kind of like diaper service, but for household waste.

It's a great solution in a place like India, where the systems for dealing with trash disposal are primitive, but seems like it would be a hot idea right here in the US. Daily Dump's brand-new website doesn't seem to be quite open for business yet, but I'm wondering if they will ship the urns overseas, or if a local distributor is in the works.