By April Streeter | Mon Apr 27, 2009 16:22
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Buy Green: Indoor Composters
From worms, to speed, to electricity-free, these five composters will reduce your biodegradables to vitamin-packed fertilizer.
Composting can be addictive. Really. There's no turning back after you discover near-negative trash generation and witness the magic that turns veggie scraps, coffee grounds, and biodegradable packaging into rich, dark soil. It gives you a connection to the earth, its seasons and its fertility, and you don?t have to be a back-to the-farm type or even have outdoor space at all to get the feeling. From sleek countertop appliances to garbage-chomping wormy pets, these five indoor composters will trim back household waste and ease your landfill demand.
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Nature Mill Composter From Nature Mill
Why We Like It: The Nature Mill Composter from Nature Mill could be considered the gold standard for indoor composting. It's fast enough to compost up to 100 pounds of waste per month, not too ugly, and quite compact at 20 inches high, 20 inches deep, and 12 inches wide.
Eco Factor: Using around 5 kilowatt-hours per month, the Nature Mill is efficient...for an appliance. Other systems use no external electricity, but they aren't as fast as Nature Mill.
Sniff Test: The unit generates a constant hum and some intermittent turning noises, and while it is doesn't generate much odor, it is not odorless. It's a toss-up whether you'll want this or any indoor compost unit in your kitchen—closets, basements, or closed patios might be preferable.
Where: Nature Mill
How Much: $200-$400 for the unit; sawdust pellets are $6 for a six-month supply.
Image courtesy of Nature Mill
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Happy Farmer Kitchen Composter From Sustainable Community Development
Why We Like It: The low-tech yet solid Happy Famer Kitchen Composter from Sustainable Community Development comes with an innovative compost starter or microbial inoculant—dubbed Happy Farmer Bokashi—which helps quickly ferment the food scraps.
Eco Factor: This composter requires no electricity—a big plus—and is equipped with a drain to release excess moisture. The little bucket (available in black or white made from 75 percent post-consumer recycled plastic, or tan made from virgin plastic) uses Bokashi to break down waste, taking about two weeks from the time the bin is filled, which means you would need two for an efficient indoor system.
Sniff Test: As the Bokashi starter creates an anaerobic environment, the smell depends on how often you spread it over the waste.
Where: Amazon
How Much: $60 for a 5-gallon bucket; $10 per gallon for bokashi refills.
Image courtesy of
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Worm Factory From Cascade Manufacturing Sales
Why We Like It: Vermicomposting, or composting that uses worms, can require a lot of upfront research: Cascade's Worm Factory streamlines the process, making about a tray of worm casings each month with a three-tray system.
Eco Factor: Around 10,000 worms will fit in the Worm Factory, processing about 5-8 pounds of food waste per week, or around the output of an average four-member family. Worm enthusiasts and gardeners say worm casings are superior compost. The tray system is also supposed to separate the worms—you just 'feed' a higher tray when you want the worms to migrate—so you don't have to move them manually. The Worm Factory also claims to have the smallest indoor vermicompost system, which is important if your space is tight. Keep in mind worms need controlled temperatures, between 45-85 degrees.
Sniff Test: If you assiduously collect and distribute your 'worm tea' you should not have an odor problem.
Where: Cascade Manufacturing Sales
How Much: About $90; worms are around $40 per 2 pounds.
Image courtesy of Cascade Manufacturing Sales, Inc.
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Joracompost 125 From Joraform
Why We Like It: Swedish company Joraform has worked for many years to make composting into a science, and the Joracompost, best suited for a garage or garden shed, was the first unit to allow compost rotation without the need for (much) manual labor. Since it is off the ground and attached to a wall, Joraform likes to boast that it is rodent-proof.
Eco Factor: Joraform is dedicated to tailoring composting to all sizes of dwellings—homes, schools, apartment complexes and industrial kitchens. This highly insulated composter can be used year-round without a power source, taking 10 to 12 liters of compostable material each week and turning it into compost in about six weeks.
Sniff Test: The daily rotation mixes and aerates the compost without excessive smell, according to the manufacturer—even with meat and fish scraps.
Where: Composting Warehouse
How Much: Around $425; plus sawdust or wood pellets.
Image courtesy of The Composting Warehouse
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Worm Farm From Tumblewood
Why We Like It: The Worm Farm from Tumblewood, consisting of nested boxes with the top "breeding box" for the worms, is a practical solution for city dwellers. Perforations allow liquids to drain, and the compact unit is 23 inches by 15 inches by 10 inches—just the right size for a closet or laundry room.
Eco Factor: It can also be used to convert pet waste into fertilizer (though the two systems, kitchen and pet waste, can't be mixed).
Sniff Test: The Worm Farm will not be totally odor free, as some decomposition begins before the 2,000 red worms begin their work of eating.
Where: Shady Creek Worm Farm
How Much: $95 without the worms. Red wrigglers are about $23 for 1,000 worms.
Image courtesy of Tumbleweed Worm Farm
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