r.elizabeth

Yoko Ono, 1977

When food rots, it produces methane, a potent climate pollutant that also makes trash smell bad. And with American’s wasting 40 percent of of our food, there’s a lot just sitting around rotting and producing methane. One solution to this is composting. Unlike when food rots, proper composting doesn’t produce climate change-causing methane because of aerobic respiration, and therefore doesn’t smell. There are lots of ways to compost, but a worm bin is one that is fun and convenient for people living in apartments.

Here’s how to make one:

Though not needed, a nice feature to add is a layer of window-screen wire mesh along the bottom so that worms don’t crawl through your drainage holes.

A tip on where to store your worm bin: Dark is best (worms don’t like sunlight), so consider putting it under a shady tree, in your garage, or even under your sink if you don’t have outdoor space—it won’t smell since it’s decomposing aerobically! If you live in an area where it gets super cold and your bin is outside, consider putting a blanket over it to keep your worms happy!