Food is the most common solid waste sent to the landfill in the US. In 2018 it made up 24.1% of the total municipal solid waste. In addition, yard trimmings make up 7.2%, paper makes up 11.8%, and wood accounts for 8.3% of the municipal solid waste. Combined with the food waste, total organic materials made up 51.4% of solid waste in landfills for 2018. When organic material ends up in landfill, the anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions break down the waste and produce methane gas. Landfills are the third largest contributor to methane emissions in the US. Composting organic waste is an environmentally-friendly way to recycle this organic waste and create a valuable soil amendment called compost.
Vermicomposting (composting with worms) turns organic material into vermicompost. It is similar to traditional composting in that both use natural processes to stabilize decaying organic matter. Traditional composting utilizes fungi and microorganisms to break down materials while earthworms do most of the composting in vermicomposting. Advantages of vermicomposting include reducing the amount of waste your home produces, requires little space and maintenance, allows you to compost food scraps indoors year-round, spawns free earthworms for fishing, and produces a free, high-quality soil amendment.
Creating a worm bin is simple and inexpensive. To create a worm bin, all you need is earthworms, a bin, bedding, water, and a food source. Bins can be constructed out of untreated wood or a plastic storage container. Manufactured worm bins can also be purchased online. To make a worm bin out of a plastic storage container, purchase two dark solid colored plastic bins with tight fitting lids. I suggest starting off with one pound of worms which will need one square foot of surface area. Bins can be anywhere between 8 and 20 inches deep. Drill 1/8th or 1/4th inch equally dispersed holes in the bottom of both containers and around the upper sides near the lid. Do not drill holes in the lid. Stack bins on each other and use the unused lid as a catch basin for any materials that may fall out of the bottom of the bins.
Shredded paper works great for bedding, but you can also use decaying leaves or coconut coir. Soak any bedding material for 5 to 10 minutes in a bucket of water and wring it out before adding it to the top bin. Fill the bin about halfway and fluff up the bedding as you add it to the bin. Add a handful of soil from a healthy garden to introduce beneficial microorganisms that will aid the earthworms’ digestion.
The type of worm in your bin is an important factor. There are 9,000 species of earthworms and only seven have been identified as suitable for vermicomposting. Only one species is commonly used and available, Eisenia fetida, also known as a red wiggler. However, do not start your worm bin with worms from a bait shop or your yard. Bait shops tend to sell nightcrawlers as they are a larger worm good for fishing and aren’t the most efficient at breaking down organic matter. It is best to purchase through a worm grower to ensure you are receiving the correct species. Prices vary, so be sure to shop around. Have your bin set up before your worms arrive. When they arrive, empty them out on top of the bedding. After 30 minutes they will move down into the bedding. Give them a few days to acclimate to their new home before their first feeding.
After about a week, add small amounts of food scraps. Feed your earthworms non meat foods such as vegetables, fruits, tea and coffee grounds, paper coffee filters, and shredding garden debris. Chop scraps so they break down faster. Avoid adding citrus as it can change the pH of the worm bin and never add meat, bones, greasy or oily foods, onions, garlic, fat, or salty foods. These scraps will lead to a foul smelling bin or create an uninhabitable environment for your worms. Cover scraps up with bedding and only feed your worms again when most of the scraps are gone.
Worm bins can be placed in many places around your home such as in a garage, under the kitchen sink, basement, bathroom, closet, porch, or balcony. The important factor is to keep the bin out of direct sunlight and between 59° and 77 ℉. A well maintained worm bin should not smell and never needs to be stirred. Roughly handling the worms will likely kill them. You may see other organisms living with your earthworm, most are normal and will also help break down the organic materials. Most will be too small to see, but you may see springtails, molds, or mites.
For more information about vermicomposting contact your local Cooperative Extension Office.
