Urban Composting: How To Make It Work In Small Spaces

Living in a flat, townhouse, or small home doesn’t mean you have to miss out on composting. In fact, urban composting is not only possible—it’s powerful. With a few smart tools and techniques, you can reduce your food waste, improve your environmental footprint, and even create your own supply of nutrient-rich compost for balcony plants or community gardens.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’d compost, but I don’t have space,” this guide is for you. Let’s break down how to compost effectively—even in the heart of the city.

Why Composting in Small Spaces Matters 🏙️

✅ South African households throw away tons of food every day.

✅ Most of that ends up in landfills, where it releases harmful methane gas.

✅ Composting turns your scraps into soil instead—cutting emissions and regenerating the earth.

💡 In a city like Johannesburg, where urbanisation is dense, composting is one of the most direct, personal actions you can take to fight climate change.

3 Compact Composting Methods for Small-Space Living

1. Bokashi Bins – Ideal for Indoors

Bokashi is a fermentation system that pre-treats food waste (even meat and dairy!) using beneficial microbes.

✅ Smell-free and compact—perfect for flats or townhouses

✅ No oxygen required, so you don’t need to turn the bin

✅ Finished waste can be buried in soil or added to a compost pile

💡 Tip: After fermentation, pair your Bokashi with a pot of soil on the balcony to break it down into compost.

2. Worm Farms (Vermicomposting) – Great for Balconies or Garages

Worm farms use red wiggler worms to eat food scraps and produce vermicompost, a nutrient-rich substance adored by plants.

✅ Requires very little space

✅ Produces castings (solid compost) and worm tea (liquid fertiliser)

✅ Great for continuous composting with low effort

💡 Keep it in a shaded area like under the sink, in a corner of your kitchen, or on your balcony. Worms are quiet roommates—you’ll hardly know they’re there!

3. Community Compost Drop-Offs or Collection Services

If composting at home isn’t practical, you can still compost by participating in local initiatives.

✅ Store food scraps in your freezer or a sealed bucket.

✅ Drop off at a community compost hub, garden, or school.

✅ Or join a service like The Compost Kitchen—we collect and compost your food waste for you.

💡 Bonus: You still get to support sustainability and reduce your waste—even without keeping a compost bin at home.

What You Can Compost in Small-Scale Systems

Most compact composting methods love:

🥬 Vegetable peels and ends

🍌 Fruit scraps (not too much citrus)

☕ Coffee grounds and tea bags (no plastic mesh)

🥖 Stale bread, oats, rice (in moderation)🥚 Crushed eggshells

Avoid in small systems unless using Bokashi:

🚫 Meat and dairy (unless fermented first)

🚫 Oily foods and cooked leftovers

🚫 Glossy paper or synthetic bags

Small Space? Big Impact. Here’s Why It’s Worth It:

🌍 Reduces your household waste by up to 40%

🌱 Produces free fertiliser for houseplants or balcony herbs

💧 Reduces methane emissions from landfills

💚 Builds awareness of what we waste—and helps us waste less

💡 Even if you’re composting just a few banana peels a week, it makes a difference.

Urban Composting Tips for Success

✅ Keep a small kitchen bin or sealed container for collecting daily scraps.

✅ Use compostable liners or repurposed paper bags.

✅ Chop food scraps small to speed up decomposition.

✅ Balance wet and dry materials—add shredded paper to wet food scraps.

✅ Start small and experiment until you find the method that fits your lifestyle.

Let The Compost Kitchen Help You Compost Without the Mess

Don’t want to manage worms or fermentation bins? Let us take care of it. At The Compost Kitchen, we collect your food scraps and turn them into premium, earthworm-rich compost—so you can be part of the solution without lifting a fork.

🌱 Live in the city? Join The Compost Kitchen today and make urban composting easy, clean, and impactful.