7 Compact & Good-Looking Indoor Composting Bins for Your Kitchen
Want to be less wasteful but don’t know where to start? It might be time to try composting. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, food scraps and yard waste make up about 20 to 30 percent of what we throw away, and all of it should be composted instead. Composting has a lot of great benefits like reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and reducing methane emissions from landfills. And even if you think composting isn’t for you because you don’t garden or have outdoor space, there are plenty of awesome uses for the compost you create—One Green Planet has a great list of options to consider.
When you’re not used to composting, it can be hard to make it a habit at first, but keeping a small compost collection bin on your counter is a great way to remind yourself to save your food scraps. From there, you can either transfer the contents of your bin to an outdoor compost pile or to an actual composter (you can buy one or DIY one to fit your needs and your space). You can also use a worm composter, which basically allows a bunch of worms to eat your scraps and do the work for you.
If you’re ready to look into composting at home, here are some stylish compost bins you can use to collect all your food waste before transferring for composting, along with two worm indoor composters.
As seen above, this vintage blue bin looks like it could be right at home on your counter, and won’t take up much space—it’s only 9.5 inches tall, 6.5 inches wide and 5 inches deep. You can get it on Amazon for $31.99.
This compost bin is made out of eco-friendly, biodegradable bamboo fiber and is available in two colors: natural (pictured above) and graphite. It comes with two dishwasher-safe odor filters. Get it on Amazon for $40.
Unlike other compost bins, this one doesn’t have ventilation holes in the lid (where you would generally put a filter) so it definitely locks in odors. It comes in gray and white Get it on Amazon for $19.99.
If you want to indulge in a fancier, handmade option, this stoneware compost bin is a great option, has space for a charcoal filter, and comes in several different colors (black, blue and yellow, along with the ivory one pictured above). Get it on Etsy for $95.
This ceramic compost bin is a little larger than some of the other countertop options, measuring 12″ by 9″ by 9″ and comes in red, black and white. It can hold up to a gallon of food waste and includes a filter that lasts up to 6 months. Get it on Amazon for $20.95 (price varies by color option, however).
For an option that does more than just hold your food scraps until you can transfer them, this pine composter is also a worm farm—they can do all the work of composting your food waste for you. Get it on Etsy for $105.
Another worm composter, this one has a simple (and recently, Red Dot Award-winning) design that won’t detract from your decor. It measures 24 inches high and comes in two colors: gray (above) and lime green. Get it on Gardener’s Supply Company for $139.