One of the most frequent questions we get is “My apartment block has a small shared space and we would like to set up community composting, what do you suggest?”
One of the first steps is to get an idea of how many of your neighbors would like to contribute, as the solution for 4-5 households is quite different to the setup and management required for 20! Many systems are scaleable; you simply add more tumblers!
Don’t forget to check out any local regulations pertaining to composting, household waste, and yard waste!
For any size setup, we recommend at least two compost chambers. This way one chamber is curing, while the other has fresh material added.
We suggest placing the composter on dirt, with an old tile holding the legs off the ground. This is so that any liquid that drains out of the composter does not stain concrete, and so that the legs don’t rust.
Some Suggestions for 4-5 households:
These suggestions below should work for 4-5 households who are new to composting or who don’t prepare all meals from scratch. Once your neighbors have the hang of composting, you will either need to increase efficiency, or increase capacity. Don’t forget that compost will loose about half its volume in the first two weeks.
<$200 – Two FCMP Dual Chamber Composters
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Pros: Inexpensive way to start composting. Ships flat packed. 100% Post-consumer recycled polypropylene.
Cons: Small doors limit compost collection container size and make emptying harder. Each chamber is quite small, so the tumbler is unlikely to reach high temperatures (this means you should avoid composting weed seeds). Requires assembly. Metal parts may rust.
Buy it on Amazon HERE
| Cost | Total Capacity | Total Chambers | Chamber Size | Total Footprint | Convenience Rating |
| <$200 | 74 gallons 10 cubic feet | 4 | 18.5 gallons 2.5 cubic feet | 6′ x 3′ | 3 Stars |
<$500 – One Jora JK270 Metal Tumbler
Pros: All metal construction is rodent resistant. Can be wall mounted. Insulation allows for greater heat, faster composting, and more varied kitchen waste. Large opening for easy filling and compost removal. Can be emptied directly into a wheelbarrow.
Cons: All metal construction may rust. Insulation is HDPE so the unit is not plastic-free. Jora suggests wood pellets or sawdust as the main ‘browns’ – a product not easily available in St Maarten.
Buy it on Amazon HERE
| Cost | Total Capacity | Total Chambers | Chamber Size | Total Footprint | Convenience Rating |
| <$500 | 70 gallons 9.4 cubic feet | 2 | 35 gallons 4.7 cubic feet | 4′ x 3′ | 4 Stars |
>$500 – Two Envirocycle Tumblers
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Pros: All plastic construction won’t rust. Sits low – easy to conceal. Large opening for easy filling and compost removal. Made from recycled HDPE.
Cons: Bulky shipping: Ships fully assembled. Compost tea collector can trap and breed mosquitoes (can easily be plugged). Can’t empty directly into a wheelbarrow.
Buy it on Amazon HERE
| Cost | Total Capacity | Total Chambers | Chamber Size | Total Footprint | Convenience Rating |
| <$600 | 70 gallons 9.4 cubic feet | 2 | 35 gallons 4.7 cubic feet | 4′ x 2′ | 5 Stars |
All Options:
| Composter: | ECMP | Jora | Envirocycle |
| Cost | <$200 | <$500 | <$600 |
| Total Capacity | 74 gallons 10 cubic feet | 70 gallons 9.4 cubic feet | 70 gallons 9.4 cubic feet |
| Total Chambers | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Chamber Size | 18.5 gallons 2.5 cubic feet | 35 gallons 4.7 cubic feet | 35 gallons 4.7 cubic feet |
| Total Footprint | 6′ x 3′ | 4′ x 3′ | 4′ x 2′ |
| Convenience Rating | 3 Stars | 4 Stars | 5 Stars |
Making Compost as a Community
Great, you have chosen your compost tumbler and are ready to start composting! Each household new to composting should keep a list of green and brown ingredients in plain sight. Get the whole family involved, and brainstorm all the things which no longer need to go to the landfill!
A small container with a lid can be kept on the counter during meal prep, and then either taken straight to the compost once full, or placed in the fridge. Try not to keep compost on the counter for longer than 24 hrs, as smells can develop which can attract fruit flies. Try to chop anything in your container to a size smaller than a lime.
When you take your container to the community compost, do a quick green:brown calculation. Remember, you need one part green waste to three parts brown waste. Add your waste to the tumbler, and give ALL the tumblers one or two quick turns.
Once a week, a community member should do a quick check to make sure everything is running smoothly. This includes:
- visually checking the moisture level and adding dry browns or water to compensate
- checking to see if the compost tumbler is nearly full
- inspecting the maturing compost (does it need some extra turns? moisture? or is it ready?)
- using a compost thermometer to check temperature (if using the Jora)
Once a chamber is full, empty the oldest chamber and change the labels around so that the newly empty chamber gets filled again.
The fresh compost should be placed in a mesh basket in contact with the ground and allowed to mature. This can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. It is helpful to screen the compost before use – and anything bigger than the screen can go back into the tumbler as browns.
Some Tips to Ensure Smooth Running
Composting is not a sterile, bug-free process. However, carefully managed moisture levels help keep things under control and many of the bugs are actually part of the compost process.
On that same note, use good hygiene practices when working with compost. (You should be doing this with the store brought stuff too!)
Food waste is naturally very wet, and all this liquid (leachate) needs somewhere to go. Don’t place your composter on a finished surface, over your favorite plants, or where this leachate may run into the ocean.
Compost is not odor free, but any offensive odors more than a few feet away from a closed tumbler is a sign that things are not quite right. The most common culprits are: too wet, too many greens, or not enough oxygen.
Start simply: fruit and vegetable prep waste, shredded office paper, and brown corrugated cardboard torn into small pieces (like pizza boxes!).
Keep the area around your compost clean and neat. You don’t want to attract animals, and you want to keep the process pleasant for everyone. Keeping a 2-3′ buffer between the compost and walls or plants helps keep everything tidy.
Large amounts of landscaping waste would overwhelm even the largest tumbler. This waste can be used as mulch, or dried and added to the compost slowly as a brown. A mesh basket (similar to the one used to mature compost) can expedite this process.
Tumblers should be placed somewhere convenient, but not close to the community trash bins. Maturing compost and drying landscaping waste can be kept in a remote location to the compost tumblers.
What if I can’t get my neighbors on board?
While community composting with the whole apartment block would be ideal, there are other methods for composting which need only a small balcony. Please check out our posts on worm farms and bokashi bins.
Resources:
Budding community composters can find a wealth of information over at https://ilsr.org/composting-bmp-guide/
Start with the 4 page “Composting Best Management Practices Summary”, and move on to the “Full Report” for more information.
GreenSXM has a full list of compost additions HERE. Stick to the first group until you have a well run community compost.
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However, for our St Maarten / St Martin visitors we encourage you to shop local, and every effort has been made to provide a local source. Please let us know if you want to be included! Â
Check out this awesome #madeinSXM composter! it is plenty big enough to be used in community composting for apartments.
