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Could you be a closet environmentalist? You don't have to strap yourself to the nearest redwood or refuse to buy anything for the next 20 years to consider yourself an eco-minded citizen. Yet you search for ways to do more.

Well, if you aren't too squeamish here's one more thing you can do...

An indoor composter using red wriggler worms can help you greatly reduce your kitchen waste while producing a rich soil-like fertilizer for your house plants. Known as vermicomposting, this is an ideal fix for the apartment-dweller or homeowner with limited yard space for a traditional compost heap.

The basic idea is to build the worms a home using a plastic container (like a Rubbermaid bin) with holes drilled in it for ventilation, putting down a bedding layer of newspaper, sawdust, straw or dried leaves, and then simply feeding them your kitchen scraps. You can use most vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grinds, tea leaves, egg shells, stale bread, and small amounts of meat and dairy. If you are careful not to dump in more than the worms can consume, a properly functioning system may be nearly odorless. You should store the bin in a closet or basement location away from direct sunlight and heat above 90F (32C).

Detailed instructions about preparing, maintaining and harvesting vermicompost are available online (I found this site to be quite thorough). With this method, you may see a one-third reduction in kitchen waste within a short period of time.

The next time someone who dodged your eco-enlightening efforts compliments you on your flourishing indoor foliage, try not to smirk. Instead, try saying:

"It's funny you should ask. Let me show you where I store my secret ingredient..."


Mamaluv is an avid composter who is most certainly not in the closet with her environmental concerns.

Read mamaluv's blog.