Composting in a small space
You do not need a large garden to compost. Kitchen scraps make up a big share of most household waste, and there are good ways to compost them in a flat, on a balcony or in a small yard. The right choice depends on how much space you have, whether you have any soil to use the result on, and how hands on you want to be. This page covers worm bins, bokashi, compact bins and community schemes, with the questions to ask before you start.
Worm bins
A worm bin is a shallow, ventilated box in which composting worms eat kitchen scraps and bedding. These worms are a different kind from the earthworms that live deep in garden soil. They live in the top layer of decaying material and eat a great deal of it. A well run worm bin is quiet and does not smell, which is why it suits indoor and balcony spaces.
Worms need bedding to live in, such as shredded newspaper, cardboard or coconut fibre, kept as damp as a wrung out sponge. They eat most fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea leaves and crushed eggshells. They do best with small, regular feeds buried under the bedding. Large amounts of citrus, onion, garlic and spicy food upset them, and meat, dairy and oily food attract pests and smell.
The result is worm castings, a fine, dark material that is rich and gentle on plants, and a liquid that collects at the bottom of some bins. Both can be used on houseplants and containers. Worm bins need moderate temperatures, so they come indoors or into a sheltered place in hot or freezing weather.
Bokashi
Bokashi is a fermentation method. You put kitchen scraps, including cooked food, into an airtight bucket, sprinkle each layer with a bran that carries fermenting microbes, press it down and close the lid. Liquid that collects at the bottom is drained off through a tap every few days. After the bucket is full and has rested for a couple of weeks, the contents are fermented but not yet compost.
That last point is important. Fermented bokashi still has to finish breaking down in soil. You can bury it in a bed or a large container of soil, add it to a compost heap, or give it to someone who has one. Without anywhere to put it, bokashi is only half a solution. Many people use two buckets so one can rest while the other fills.
Compact bins and tumblers
If you have a small yard or a patio, a compact closed bin or a small tumbler may fit. Closed bins need to sit on soil, so they suit a corner of a garden bed. Tumblers can stand on paving, which suits a patio, and keep animals out. Both need browns to balance kitchen scraps, which can be harder to find in a small space. Shredded cardboard and paper from deliveries are an easy source.
Community and council schemes
Many areas have community composting sites, shared bins in housing developments, or council food waste collections that compost the material at scale. If you have no space at all, these are often the simplest option. Some community gardens welcome scraps from neighbours, and some schemes give back compost in return. Your local council website is the place to check what is available near you.
Choosing for your space
If you live in a flat with no outdoor soil, a worm bin is usually the most complete option, since it turns scraps into something you can use on houseplants. If you produce a lot of cooked food waste and have a friend or a community garden that can take the fermented material, bokashi works well. If you have a small yard, a compact bin or a tumbler lets you compost most scraps and garden trimmings in one place. And if none of those fits, a local collection scheme still keeps scraps out of landfill.
Keeping it pleasant
Small-space composting lives close to where you live, so a few habits matter. Keep a lid on everything. Add browns or bedding with every feed. Feed little and often rather than in large loads. Empty the kitchen caddy often. If something starts to smell, it is almost always too wet or too much food at once, and the fix is the same as for a garden heap: add dry material and give it time.