Experience with composting in apartment

[Quadalupe]

Do any of you have experience with composting in your apartment? I've looked into this somewhat, found some sites which wrote about it (e.g. http://smallnotebook.org/tutorials/the- ... mpost-bin/), but have yet to take steps.

If I start composting, I estimate that I only have to replace the thrash bag every 2/3 months, since I already separate my glass, plastic and paper. Currently, the main reason for replacing is the smell after two weeks or so.

[jacob]

I guess sort of... I have experience with keeping composting worms in an apartment because I received a batch a few months before we moved out here; and I have experience with overwintering a much larger batch of worms in the basement.

The first were in a bucket and the second were in big rubbermaid containers. The smell happens only if the compost gets too wet or there's too much nitrogen (green stuff). However, with a little bit more effort, like an actual permanent system with drainage holes, like e.g. the one I built http://earlyretirementextreme.com/build ... ystem.html ... there shouldn't be any smell at all. Well, maybe there's a slight smell of soil, but no more than a potted plant. Certainly less than any pet or human.

You can also purchase a substantially fancier system or build one. If you get really creative, there's this http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-b ... composter/

[Sclass]

I think I've told the funny story of my apartment worm farm before. I had a rubber made container for worms and compost to breed worms for my tropical fish at one time. I read someplace to never put onions in there. Well, not wanting to be wasteful one day, I did.

Next time I had to feed my fish I couldn't find a single worm under all the mulch. I found them for the next five years all over the apartment...all dried up. Under the carpet. Under furniture. Wedged in cracks. They had bailed out of the onion gas chamber I short order.

[Stahlmann]

How about smell?

I'm trying to be more ERE, but my work can be mainly applied as "insider".

The first think which will be questioned... the smell and possible rodents/insects plague.

I found "zero waste movement" in my regional/national area (on FB... - so many women ; I haven't seen discussions about size of the house/positives of using bike... this make me skeptic).

For convenient consumers they propose "bokashi composting bin" (*). I started to check about the "additives" (bokashi bags), because this makes this solution "smell-less". After reading the label it is made of: fiber and some special bateries... Is this latter component necessary?

It seems about method of how the bacterias "eat" the stuff.. I'll try to do decipher it tomorrow...

(*) no results for "site:(forum.)earlyretirementextreme.com bokashi"

As I said before, bookmarks are for lamers, so I'm adding my other findings here:
viewtopic.php?t=8293
viewtopic.php?t=8921

[jacob]

A well-maintained worm-composting operation shouldn't smell. However, if you don't bury the scraps under the soil, it will smell and likely attract fruit flies. Some people keep a scrap container in the kitchen to avoid having to run to the compost all the time. Some of these containers have a carbon filter in the lid.

I would guess that if you already have a rodent problem (live on a farm?) they might be attracted to the compost.

I've never heard of bokashi but looked it up. It does seem to be targeted at "convenient consumers". The bacteria are crucial, lest you end up with "natural" airborne processes breaking it down: mold.