How to Start Kitchen Composting: A Beginner’s Guide for Apartment Dwellers

Are you living in an apartment but keen to do your part for the planet?

As you know, we’re passionate about making sustainability simple, and kitchen composting is a fantastic way for apartment dwellers to reduce waste right where you live.

You don’t need a backyard or loads of spare time just the right knowledge, a compact compost solution, and a willingness to give it a crack.

Let’s walk through our practical, Australian guide to indoor composting.

Why Kitchen Composting Matters (Especially in Apartments)

Nearly 50% of household waste is organic material - think food scraps, coffee grounds, peelings, and more. When this ends up in landfill, it breaks down anaerobically and creates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.

By composting these scraps at home, even in a small unit, you’re transforming waste into nutrient-rich compost to feed plants and gardens, all while helping the environment and saving council resources.

Our mission is to make composting accessible to everyone, whether you live in a large home or a high-rise apartment. With compact, little to no odour indoor compost bins and simple systems, composting fits comfortably in even the smallest kitchens.

Choosing the Right Kitchen Compost Bin for Apartments

When space is tight, it’s all about the right tools. Our kitchen compost bin collection has been carefully designed for apartment living. Look for features like:

• Compact size: Fits easily on your countertop or under the sink
• Airtight lids: Prevents odours and keeps pests at bay
• Easy-to-empty caddy: Makes transfer to communal bins or compost tumblers simple
• Odour-control filters or liners: Essential for hassle-free indoor composting

Featured Products:

• Compost Caddy – A tidy, counter top bin perfect for storing daily scraps
• Bokashi bin – An innovative solution designed for fermentation-based composting, which is ideal for small spaces and minimises odours.

Step-by-Step: How to Compost in an Apartment

1. Set Up Your Indoor Compost Bin

Start by choosing the right spot in your kitchen, under the sink, in a pantry, or even on a balcony (if you’re lucky enough to have one). Our bins have compact footprints and airtight designs, so you don’t need to worry about rotting smells.

2. Line Your Caddy (Optional)

Using compostable liners or paper bags (available in our shop) can help keep things tidy, especially if you’re transferring scraps to a communal compost or curbside green bin service. (always check what your FOGO will accept)

3. Add Food Scraps

No need to overthink it! Add fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, tea leaves, bread, and other organic matter. For Bokashi bins, you can add most food scraps including dairy, meat, and citrus due to the fermentation process - just follow the instructions that come with your kit.

4. Odour-Free Composting Tips

• Keep the lid sealed at all times
• Empty caddy regularly, every few days works for most apartments
• Give your Bokashi bin a sprinkle of compost accelerator or  6-10 sprays of the liquid Bokashi, which helps break down tough scraps and speeds up fermentation
• Clean your bin each time you empty it

5. Transfer and Use Your Compost

Once your bin is full, what you do next depends on your bin style:

• For a standard indoor caddy, transfer to a larger outdoor compost tumbler, communal compost bin, or council green waste service
• For Bokashi bins, let contents ferment, then add to your compost tumbler or bury the finished pre-compost (if you have space). If not - check your local area for a community garden / compost collections within your local shire or council.

If you don’t have a garden to use your final compost on, use in pots, share with neighbours, local community gardens, or friends with green thumbs. Every bit helps create a circular economy, one of our core beliefs here at Maze.

FAQs: Apartment Composting Explained

What’s the best way to compost in a small apartment?

The best solution is a compact, airtight composting bin like our Maze Compost Caddy or Bokashi bin. Place it somewhere convenient (kitchen counter or under the sink), and empty it into a larger shared composter, community bin, or garden when full.

How do I prevent smells when composting indoors?

Our bins are designed with airtight lids to reduce and filter rotting odour, so smells are rarely a problem. Empty your bin regularly, avoid letting scraps sit too long, and rinse the bucket when needed. For fermentation bins (like the Bokashi), adding the supplied accelerator or spray to further minimises odours.

Can I compost all food scraps in an apartment composter?

With traditional kitchen compost caddies, stick to fruit, veggies, coffee grounds, and eggshells to keep it simple and prevent odours. With a Bokashi bins, you can compost almost all food scraps - even meat, fish, dairy, and cooked food, thanks to anaerobic fermentation. Just avoid too much liquid to keep things efficient. But don't forget to collect/drain The Bokashi liquid, dilute and use on your indoor plants.

Benefits of Kitchen Composting for Apartment Dwellers

• Reduces your landfill contribution and combats climate change
• Minimises odours and mess (with the right bin!)
• Produces nutrient-rich compost or ‘pre-compost’ for plants
• Supports the circular economy in your community
• Easy and beginner-friendly - no experience needed

Common Challenges (and How We Solve Them)

• Worried about insects or pests?
  Our bins’ airtight seals and compact designs keep bugs out and odours locked in. Always make sure your Bokashi Tap is closed when not draining the liquid.

• No outdoor space?
  No stress. Share compost with local gardens or use it for pot plants and balcony gardens.

• Not sure where to start?
  We provide all the resources you need - detailed guides, friendly support, and a community of composters to help you along the way.

We believe everyone - no matter how small their space—can join the journey towards a greener, more sustainable world.

Our kitchen compost bins are created for urban living, with clever features, modern design, and a focus on making sustainability easy for all Aussies. 

Ready to start? Explore our full kitchen compost collection and make a positive impact, one food scrap at a time.