City compost

Before I set up a compost bin at this apartment I spent a lot of time worrying about how to make it animal proof. Between the downstairs cat and dog and all of the various cats, squirrels, birds, and mice I've seen (as well as the wildlife I haven't seen) I figured it would be an irresistible siren, doomed to be ripped apart each night. I had settled on something like this metal can, but not yet figured out how to get one home or where to put it.

In the meantime I ended up drilling a bunch of holes in a plastic bucket that was kicking around the back yard.

It went right outside the kitchen window, so I can lift the screen and toss things in without climbing outside. The holes are small, because I didn't want anything larger than ants taking up residence, so it doesn't get much air. In order to be sure it doesn't devolve into an anaerobic mess I add in lots of ripped up newspaper after adding anything.

Full. This happens 1-3 times a week depending on how I'm cooking.

When it fills up I take it down to the back, where I never got around to putting in a real composter. Instead I have a bit of metal fencing held in place against the chainlink fence.

The "big" composter.

If this thing were filled to the top I reckon it'd hold about 12 cubic feet of material, if that. Of course it always seems to stay at around half-filled, no matter what rate I toss things in. If you've read anything about compost you know this is a small pile and not likely to generate or retain much heat, but since I add a lot of carbon to make sure it stays aerated and doesn't smell bad by the kitchen I'm not even trying to do this properly. I don't turn it, don't try and balance greens and browns, don't pay attention to the moisture level, except to see that it's not drowning, and don't even chop up large bits to get them to break down faster. I'm just trying to avoid sending food waste to the landfill where it can't break down.

You might also notice that this container is very, very open. It turns out that while young plants and fresh, bare dirt are unbelievably alluring to animals, actual food is not. I've been waiting months now for some sign of animal disturbance, but there's been nothing. In the meantime the squirrels are still pulling out tiny plants for no good reason while the downstairs dog excitedly digs random holes in the mulch. I guess we all need hobbies.