Omar Khalid
Composting is a great way to reuse kitchen scraps and reduce waste. It can be done on a balcony, in a small space, without using plastic. While plastic composters are common, you can use other materials as long as they are not corrosive metals, as rust can introduce toxins into the compost. This guide will explore the different ways to compost on a balcony without using plastic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Space | An 11-gallon bin is the smallest feasible bin size. |
| Container | Use a container with a lid and at least a 75-litre capacity. Avoid corrosive metal. |
| Base | Build a base with a trivet, stones, and beams to ensure ventilation and collect liquid. |
| Greens | Vegetable peels, discarded produce, eggshells, and coffee grounds. |
| Browns | Shredded paper, dryer lint, cardboard, paper packaging, egg cartons, and leaves. |
| Aeration | Drill holes in the container for passive aeration. Stir with a stick to increase oxygenation. |
| Temperature | Wrap the barrel in bubble wrap in freezing temperatures. |
| Moisture | Use a drip tray to collect moisture. |
| Maintenance | Periodically stir or turn the compost. Cover with soil to minimise bugs and odours. |
| Completion | Compost is complete when it has a dark, crumbly texture and an earthy smell. |
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What You'll Learn
- Use a container with a capacity of 11 gallons or 75 litres
- Layer greens (veggie peels, eggshells) and browns (shredded paper, cardboard)
- Ensure good ventilation and protect the balcony from stains with a drip tray
- Use worms to speed up the process and fertilise plants
- Wrap the barrel in bubble wrap to protect against frost
Use a container with a capacity of 11 gallons or 75 litres
To compost on your balcony without plastic, you can use a container with a capacity of 11 gallons or 75 litres. This is a feasible bin size that can make composting worthwhile. Using a container with a capacity of 11 gallons or less will require more frequent emptying, which may be inconvenient.
You can construct a base for your compost bin using a trivet, stones, and beams. The trivet should be larger than the barrel and slightly lower than the bricks. Place the trivet in the desired spot and surround it with stones, leaving enough space on one side to pull out the trivet when needed. Place two beams on the bricks and put the barrel on top. This setup ensures proper air ventilation and allows liquid to drip out of the barrel, which can be collected in the trivet.
For the compost itself, you can use a mixture of damp, dry, fine, and coarse components. It is recommended to add rock flour and about 3% ready-made compost, which contains the microorganisms and worms that aid in decomposition. It is important to cut the ingredients into small pieces to facilitate rapid decomposition. You can include kitchen scraps such as vegetable peels, discarded produce, eggshells, and coffee grounds. If you have access to leaves, pine needles, or shredded wood, you can use them as brown layers. Alternatively, you can use shredded paper and dryer lint.
Remember to stir or turn the compost regularly to increase oxygenation and ensure even decomposition. During freezing temperatures, you may need to wrap the barrel with bubble wrap or bring it indoors, although this may lead to increased odours.
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Layer greens (veggie peels, eggshells) and browns (shredded paper, cardboard)
When you're ready to start composting, begin by layering greens and browns. The greens are nitrogen-rich materials, including kitchen scraps such as vegetable peels, discarded produce, eggshells, and coffee grounds. The browns are carbon-rich materials, including dry or woody plant material such as dead leaves, pine needles, shredded wood, shredded paper, and cardboard.
For those with access to a backyard, the brown layers can be made up of items like leaves, pine needles, and shredded wood. However, if you're composting on a balcony, more readily available materials like shredded paper, cardboard, and dryer lint can be used for the brown component.
To get started, place a bottomless bucket inside a larger container. Finely cut your food scraps and mix them with brown leaves inside the bucket. Add soil between the bucket and the container, and plants can be grown in this soil ring. As the scraps break down, add more scraps, stirring the compost each time to increase oxygenation and ensure even decomposition.
It's important to maintain the right ratio of greens to browns. Generally, a ratio of 3 or 4 parts browns to 1 part greens works well, but you don't need to be too precise. If your compost isn't heating up, you may need to add more greens, and if it starts to smell bad, add more browns. Keep the pile moist, but not soggy, and cover it with soil or a lid to prevent unwanted pests.
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Ensure good ventilation and protect the balcony from stains with a drip tray
To protect your balcony from stains, use a drip tray to collect any moisture that drips out of the compost bin. This will ensure that your composting efforts don't cause any damage to your balcony. A boot tray, old saucer-style sled, or water heater drip pan can be repurposed as a drip tray.
The drip tray also serves another important purpose: it provides a reservoir for excess water that can be absorbed by the compost if needed. This is especially useful during dry periods or when the compost material needs additional moisture. By collecting the drippings, you can create a self-sustaining moisture balance for your compost.
Additionally, the drip tray helps to prevent strong odours from developing. By collecting the moisture, the drip tray reduces the chances of excess liquid building up in the compost bin, which could otherwise create an anaerobic environment that promotes the growth of odour-causing bacteria.
Finally, the drip tray contributes to the overall health of your compost by regulating moisture levels. Excess moisture can slow down the decomposition process and create an environment that is less favourable for the microorganisms that aid in breaking down organic matter. By using a drip tray, you can more effectively control the moisture content, ensuring optimal conditions for efficient composting.
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Use worms to speed up the process and fertilise plants
Vermicomposting is a great way to speed up the composting process and can be easily implemented at home, especially in limited spaces like a balcony. It involves using worms, specifically red wigglers (Eisenia fetida), to break down organic waste into nutrient-rich soil.
To get started with vermicomposting on your balcony, you'll need a suitable container or worm bin. This can be a bottomless bucket nestled inside a larger container, with holes drilled into the sides and lid for aeration. The size of the bin depends on the amount of waste you plan to compost, but an 11-gallon bin is a good starting point.
Once you have your bin, it's time to add the worms and their food. Red wigglers thrive in temperatures between 60°–80° Fahrenheit (65°–80°F), so try to maintain this temperature range for optimal worm activity. Chop up your food waste into small pieces to make it easier for the worms to consume. A good mix of "greens" and "browns" is essential. "Greens" can include fruit and vegetable scraps, old bread, cooked pasta, coffee grounds, and non-plastic tea bags. "Browns" can be shredded paper, cardboard, dry leaves, or paper egg cartons.
As the worms consume the food waste, they will produce worm castings or "worm poo." This process can take a few months. The castings are rich in nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, making them excellent fertiliser for your plants. The liquid that drains out, known as compost tea, can also be diluted and sprayed onto plant leaves.
Remember to maintain adequate moisture in your worm bin. Moisture helps worms breathe and maintain their protective coating. It also supports the bacteria colonies that work with worms to break down food waste. If your bin gets too wet, add shredded newspaper or cardboard to absorb the excess moisture.
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Wrap the barrel in bubble wrap to protect against frost
When composting on a balcony, the amount of compostable material is too small to generate sufficient heat to protect the contents from freezing. Therefore, in freezing temperatures, it is recommended to wrap the barrel in bubble wrap to protect it against frost.
Bubble wrap is an effective insulator due to the air pockets trapped between its plastic layers. When wrapped around the barrel, it helps to retain heat within the compost, preventing it from freezing. This is especially important if you are using a metal bin, as metal conducts heat away from the compost more efficiently than other materials.
To wrap the barrel effectively, start by measuring the circumference and height of the barrel. Cut the bubble wrap to size, ensuring it will cover the barrel completely. You may need to use multiple pieces of bubble wrap to cover the entire surface.
Secure the bubble wrap to the barrel using tape or elastic bands. Ensure that the wrap is snug and secure, with minimal gaps, to maximize its insulating properties. Remember to remove the bubble wrap during warmer months to allow the compost to breathe and maintain an optimal temperature for decomposition.
By wrapping the barrel in bubble wrap during cold months, you can protect your compost from freezing and maintain an active composting process throughout the winter. This technique is a simple and effective way to ensure successful composting on your balcony, even in freezing temperatures.
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Frequently asked questions
Composting is a great way to reuse kitchen scraps and turn them into useful soil. It lessens the amount of waste dumped into landfills and kitchen scraps are a potential source of greenhouse gases.
You will need a container with a lid and at least a 75-litre capacity. The container should be made of plastic or another non-corrosive material. You will also need a drip tray to collect moisture and protect your balcony from stains.
You can put vegetable peels, discarded produce, eggshells, and coffee grounds in your compost bin. You can also use shredded paper and dryer lint. It is important to cut the ingredients into small pieces so they decompose more rapidly.
Periodically stir the contents of your compost bin with a stick to increase oxygenation and speed up decomposition. Cover the decomposing food with a little soil to keep bugs and odors to a minimum.
