How to Compost in an Apartment: A Complete Guide for Australians
One of the biggest myths about composting is that you need a backyard. You don’t. Millions of apartment dwellers around the world compost successfully on kitchen benches, in cupboards, and on balconies. The methods are different from a traditional outdoor bin, but they’re every bit as effective.
This guide covers the three best composting options for apartment living in Australia, with practical advice on setting each one up.
Option 1: Worm farming (vermicomposting)
Worm farms are compact, odour-free, and produce two valuable outputs: worm castings (a rich, dark compost) and worm juice (a liquid fertiliser). They work on any balcony or in a well-ventilated indoor space.
What you need
- A worm farm kit (available at hardware stores, garden centres)
- Compost worms (red wrigglers or tiger worms — not garden earthworms)
- Bedding material (coconut coir, damp cardboard, or aged compost)
How it works
Worms eat kitchen scraps and convert them into castings. You feed the worms small quantities of food every few days. The system is layered — as the lower tray fills with castings, worms move upward into the next tray. Liquid drains to the bottom and is collected as worm juice.
What worms eat
- Fruit and vegetable scraps (avoid citrus and onion in large quantities)
- Coffee grounds and compostable tea bags
- Torn cardboard and paper
- Crushed eggshells
What to avoid in a worm farm
- Meat, fish, and dairy
- Citrus and onion in large quantities (can be acidic)
- Bread in large quantities
- Oily or processed food
Option 2: Bokashi composting
Bokashi is a fermentation system that uses effective microorganisms (EM) to ferment food waste rather than decompose it. The big advantage of Bokashi for apartment dwellers is that it accepts everything — including meat, fish, dairy, and cooked food.
How Bokashi works
- Add food scraps to the sealed Bokashi bucket in layers
- Sprinkle Bokashi bran (the EM inoculant) between layers
- Keep the lid tightly closed between additions
- After 2–4 weeks, the fermented material is ready
- Bury the fermented output in soil (garden, pot plant, or share with a community garden)
Bokashi produces a liquid by-product (Bokashi tea) that drains from the tap at the base of the bucket. Diluted 1:100 with water, this is an excellent liquid fertiliser.
Bokashi pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Accepts meat, dairy, and cooked food | Fermented material still needs burial in soil |
| Compact, fits under the kitchen sink | Requires Bokashi bran (ongoing cost) |
| Very fast — 2–4 weeks per batch | Fermented output needs somewhere to go |
| Odour-free when sealed correctly | Unpleasant smell if opened before ready |
Option 3:
Many Australian councils now offer FOGO (food organics and garden organics) bin collection. If your building has a FOGO bin, this is the simplest option for apartment composting — all food scraps go in the bin and are processed at an industrial composting facility.
Check your council’s website to see if FOGO is available in your area. Not all councils offer it, and availability varies significantly between states and local government areas.
Choosing between a worm farm and a compost bin? Find out which suits your space and lifestyle in our guide: Worm Farm vs Compost Bin: Which is Right for You?
Tips for odour-free apartment composting
- Feed little and often. Small quantities of food added regularly work better than large dumps. For worm farms, this means feeding every 2–3 days in small amounts.
- Bury food in the worm farm. Don’t leave food on the surface of a worm farm — bury it under bedding to prevent fruit flies.
- Balance greens and browns. Always add carbon material (torn cardboard, paper) whenever you add food scraps.
- Keep Bokashi sealed. The fermentation process is anaerobic — keep the lid tight at all times except when adding scraps.
Looking to reduce your waste, live more sustainably, and finally understand composting? Check out our comprehensive e-book, which has everything you need to know here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you have a worm farm in an apartment with no balcony?
Yes. Worm farms can be kept indoors in a well-ventilated cupboard or under the kitchen sink, provided the temperature stays between 15–25°C. A healthy, balanced worm farm has no unpleasant odour.
What do I do with Bokashi output if I have no garden?
You have several options: mix it into a large pot plant, find a community garden that will accept it (many do), bury it in a park or street tree pit, or check whether your council’s FOGO bin accepts fermented Bokashi material.
Does a worm farm smell?
A healthy worm farm smells like earth — no unpleasant odour. Odour problems are caused by overfeeding, too many acidic foods, or anaerobic conditions. Add more bedding and reduce feeding temporarily if your farm develops an odour.
How much food waste does a worm farm process?
A medium-sized worm farm with 1,000 worms can process about 1–2kg of food scraps per week, though it takes a few months to build up to this rate after starting. A couple or small family can typically process all their kitchen scraps in one or two trays.