There are a few ways in which you can collect your food scraps in your kitchen so that you won’t be constantly running outside to dump them in your compost bin. There are a bunch of countertop containers on the market and I even have some available for you along with compost liners in the Savvy Shop.
But here, I’m gonna show you how to make your own! (It’s really easy).
DIY Countertop Compost Caddy
What you’ll need:
- An empty container that’s at least a 3lb capacity (I recycled an old oxygen cleaner container for this, because it has a nifty handle.)
- Power drill with small drill bit to make hole in top (No drill? You can use a hammer and drywall nail instead)
- Charcoal filter (You can find these here and at pet stores )
- Hot glue gun or Crazy Glue
- Velcro (you’re only going to use the side with the “teeth”)
Directions:
1. Rinse and thoroughly dry container.
2. Drill 10-15 holes into the top of the lid wider than the width of your velcro
3. If you bought a filter that is larger than your lid, cut it to fit on the underside of lid
4. Cut strips of Velcro
5. Spread hot glue (or crazy glue) all over the underside of velcro strips and glue in between the holes (hold firmly for a few seconds while the glue does its thing).
6. Press filter onto Velcro
7. Place food scraps in container as needed.
Done!
I was really excited to find all of the elements to make this around the house, so it cost me nothing to make! We are BIG fans of free here at the House of Brown.
For a list of what foods can and cannot be composted please refer to Composting for Dummies Pt 1 the start of this series. You can also use extra large compost liners if you wish inside of this container. (I don’t shrugs) I kept mine under the sink for awhile until it became insanely hot this summer, and then I began keeping it in the fridge. No matter what compost collector you use, you should empty the little guy about every two or three days. I would replace the filter every six months or so.
Remember: You cannot compost moldy food! Mold does not equal decomp!
For a full list of composting supplies, check out the Composting Section of the Savvy Shop!
- What do you use to collect food scraps in your kitchen for composting?
