As I learned more about climate change and sustainability in college, like many people I thought ‘wow, I need to advocate for change and make more eco-conscious decisions.’ However, I felt like my options were all or nothing. My social media feed was full of eco-friendly or green-washed products that I thought I would need to do less harm to the planet. I was starting to think my changes wouldn’t be worthwhile until I could buy all my food in bulk with no packaging or have a yard to compost and garden. As a recent graduate, I see that my goals of a yard and garden may be in the distant future but composting doesn’t have to be! 

Since I have limited outdoor space and no yard, I can’t manage or turn a compost pile. I was relieved to learn about compost pick-up services. Green Heron is easy because I can schedule pick-ups at my convenience. Knowing I’m reducing the waste I send to landfills and improving soil for local farmers has brought me some peace of mind.

My only concern with keeping my compost bucket indoors was the smell of decomposing food waste. Thankfully, the buckets are air-tight keeping odors contained. The buckets also come with shredded paper and cardboard sprayed with diluted essential oil to help absorb smells through decomposition. It just makes *scents.* As you fill up your bucket, you can continue this practice by adding your own shredded paper and cardboard. Just make sure that there is no waxy or plastic coating! And yes, tearing will work if you don’t have a shredder like me. Coffee grounds are great for odor control as well.

In my experience, I can smell the compost when I open the bucket to add to it but that it does not linger when I close it. If you want to avoid ever having the smell of compost in your home, you could keep the container on your porch or balcony if possible. Sometimes I do this to save space. In that case, I keep a tupperware for food scraps on my kitchen counter and empty it into the compost bucket at the end of the day. 

Let’s state the obvious, composting pick-up services are not just for apartment dwellers! Green Heron buckets and pick-ups are perfect for anyone who is uninterested or unable to continually manage a compost pile.

If you’d like to manage your compost from start to finish, check out Green Heron’s talk with Keep Knoxville Beautiful for everything you need to know.