Ok, so my guilty secret is out. I really find it tough to recycle food waste and scraps from my kitchen. And I suspect I’m not the only one. It’s the smells coming from the compost caddy, the emptying into my enormous outdoor composter, and then getting stuck in to turn and farm this ready-made compost. It’s all hard work, not to mention slimy and stinky.
But it got me thinking. There has got to be an easier, neater and more appealing way to compost old food. And I’m happy to say that technology and good design have once again stepped in to save the day (and the planet).
For a really simple way to stop fruit flies and smells, how about freezing your scraps until you are ready to dispose of them properly? You could just use an old ice cream tub (once you’ve found a home for the contents) or you could use this Fuccillo storage container that allows you to ‘pop out’ even frozen materials into your compost bin.
There are three main types of composting: aerobic composting (in the presence of oxygen), anaerobic (without air or in sealed spaces), and vermi-composting (using worms to speed up the process).
Bokashi – meaning fermented organic matter in Japanese, composting uses a ‘selected group of micro-organisms to break down organic matter’. It’s incredibly versatile and can compost more or less any kitchen waste. And since it’s a closed system (anaerobic), there are no nasty odours or insects to deal with, no nutrients are lost and there’s no turning required.
Once you get over the slightly strange idea of keeping worms in your kitchen, vermi-composting is an incredibly efficient way to produce fertile soil. And there’s no electricity or expensive additives needed. The worms (usually the brilliantly named Red Wrigglers or simple earthworms) break down organic matter into rich soil. And once you strike the right moisture and ventilation balance, it’s easily the best way to compost indoors.
In fact, vermi-composting may be a big part of the kitchens of the future. Certainly according to EcoKook from Faltazi. This all-in-one kitchen concept encourages the idea that ‘the flow of cooking becomes fundamentally integrated with the natural cycles of the environment’. Basically, it’s a herb garden crossed with a spaceship. This could be what kitchens will all be like in time. But right now it’s a fascinating way to illustrate how food production and consumption impacts the world around you.
Following a similar but perhaps less high-tech path is this ‘flow kitchen’ by Studio Gorm. It’s a living kitchen where ‘nature and technology are integrated’. All the elements work individually but are more efficient when working as part of a larger system. Scraps are collected in a worm composter below the counter. This compost is then used to grow plants on the worktop, which are in turn watered by the drip-drying dishes above. It’s a really dynamic idea.
As is the Parasite Farm, which is an indoor compost system that can be hung on your kitchen table and used to feed plant boxes that fit neatly into your bookshelf. It’s a really clever idea for composting in even really small spaces, although perhaps they need to find a slightly more appetizing name!
But the undisputed king of indoor composting has to be the Nature Mill, and I really, really want one. This baby automates the whole composting process and eliminates user error to ‘recycle its weight in waste every ten days, diverting over two tons of waste from landfills over its life’. It uses about 30p a month of energy, much less than a garbage truck would burn in diesel fuel taking the same waste away. And it’s also made from recyclable materials.
Industrial designer Ken Jasinski has created this organic waste composter for Tupperware. It requires a mixture of green and brown organic materials, and some water to activate decomposition. It might not be as user friendly as some of the others we’ve looked at, but it’s functional and ensures you’re doing the right thing for your garden, as well as your kitchen.
Or for something a little more complicated but still incredibly stylish, what about the Eva by François Hurtaud. This compost creation uses recycled waste to fuel itself. Part of the waste it uses to grow food as well as produce methane that powers a light source to stimulate plant growth. It’s a self-contained biosphere homefarm system (just like you always wanted when you were little).
But let’s finish on a slightly more traditional note. The daily dump ceramic composter is a traditional Indian aerobic kitchen waste composter. It has a beautiful vernacular tiered design and will look great in any garden. And being outside you won’t have to put up with any unpleasant smells, it certainly seems to have put a smile on this lady’s face.
And for an equally stylish indoor alternative, this Square Bamboo Compost Pail can be kept in the kitchen and added to the outdoor heap regularly.
So there you have it. An amazing array of composting options to choose from. I guess I’ve got no excuse any more…………………









































































