Sorting recyclable rubbish from other waste is something that should happen in all British homes by this point.
Flattening cardboard packaging and washing out soup and milk cartons before adding them to your recycling bin is a small way every household can help the planet.
Of course, there are some materials that have no other choice but to go in general waste, but if you’re serious about sending as little as possible to landfill, a kitchen compost bin or caddy can help you cut back even further.
Designed to hold biodegradable waste like vegetable peel, tea bags and food scraps, a compost bin is the greenest way to break down organic waste, while creating nutrient rich soil for free to use in your garden’s flower beds and balcony window boxes. It means that even food that doesn’t get eaten won’t entirely go to waste as it can be reused after being composted.
What can you put in a kitchen compost bin?
Practically anything you’d eat can go in here, but leave out liquids such as milk as this will fill the whole kitchen with a sour stink.
Here’s a list of what you can compost:
- Food waste from cooking and uneaten scraps
- Leafy greens
- Mouldy, out-of-date foods
- Dairy products (apart from milk) and eggs and eggshells
- Cooked rice
- Fruit and vegetables including raw and cooked vegetables and peelings
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
The list of what you shouldn’t try to compost largely includes meat, fish scraps and bones, as well as any packaging and certainly no plastics.
When to empty your kitchen compost bin
Toss out the scraps on a weekly basis to avoid funky smells invading your kitchen. Lining the bottom of your bin with a sheet of newspaper can also help absorb smells and stop wet food from sticking, giving you one less gross thing to clean.
A kitchen compost is worth it whether you live alone or in a big household. Less food waste going in the regular bin means it’ll smell less and won’t need emptying as often - great news for whoever’s on bin duty. It also helps ease the burden on landfill sites, well reported to be at critical levels.
If you’re ready to invest in your own eco-friendly way to recycle food, we’ve rounded up the best compost bins to put in your kitchen.
See our list of the best below
simplehuman Compost Caddy, 4L, Stainless Steel
The thing that puts most people off about compost bins is the fear of the smell. While modern designs are made to tackle the issue head on, simplehuman goes one step further. Its 4L compost caddy features a soft seal lid to keep odour under control and is coated with Agion, which hampers the growth of smelly bacteria, mould, mildew and fungi.
No need to worry about lining with paper towels or newspaper either; this design takes Code Z custom fit inners that can be thrown out with rubbish as they are fully decomposable.
Buy now £49.95, John Lewis
Green Apple Ceramic Compost Caddy/Kitchen Food Waste Bin
Few bins could be labelled cute, let alone a food scraps one. Amazon delivers with this apple-themed caddy that you’ll be proud to keep on display on the kitchen counter. Holding 3.5L, the glazed ceramic design comes with a handle for easy carrying out to the garden and there’s a red apple version as well as a strawberry-inspired one. Perfect for anyone who loves vintage homewares or those trying to encourage kids to recycle.
Buy now £39.29, Amazon
LOMI Lomi Smart Waste kitchen composter
While most of the compost bins on our list are for modest households, LOMI is a guzzler that can handle the food waste of much larger families.
The plug-in device grinds and heats trimmings, leftovers and more, transforming them to potting soil and houseplant food in as little as four hours - compare that to a traditional model, which takes up to six months or more and you suddenly understand why it’s so expensive. The Lomi is also great at trapping odours and cuts back on methane emissions too while diverting food waste from critical-level landfill.
It’s a large device so might be better off in a utility room unless you’ve got plentiful counterspace in the kitchen.
Buy now £500.00, Selfridges
Puro EKO Caddy
When you’re cooking it’s much easier to have your caddy at worktop height so you can sweep your peeling and trimmings straight into its hungry mouth. Puro EKO’s design comes with a hook so you can mount it on a wall, inside a cupboard door or keep it on the side - whatever is most convenient. Though it looks dinky, it can hold up to 3L, so good for small homes and families. Available in grey, lime and white colours.
Buy now £11.99, EKO
KitchenCraft Living Nostalgia Kitchen Compost Bin
The look of a well-designed kitchen is instantly wrecked by an ugly compost bin. Luckily there are plenty of aesthetically-pleasing option out there to pick from. For vintage, modern farmhouse-style kitchens, this pail-like compost bin meets the brief beautifully.
It can hold 3L and includes a carbon filter inside to see to nasty odours.
Buy now £16.74, Amazon
Joseph Joseph Stack Food Waste Caddy, Grey, 4L, Graphite
If you’re serious about sending as little waste to landfill as possible, this compost caddy is a wise investment. It sports a ventilated design that gets air circulating inside, which helps to cut moisture (buh-bye bin juice) and odours.
Bad smells are also vanquished with the help of a replaceable filter built in to the lid while an easy-clean polypropylene body, flip-up lid and stainless-steel carry handle means cleaning is super simple.
Buy now £32.00, John Lewis
Brabantia Compost Food Waste Caddy, 1.8L, Mid Grey
So chic no one would guess it’s a bin, this soft grey caddy is designed to sit quietly on the countertop, eating all the food waste that’s left after cooking and meals. It’s composed of ABS plastic and stainless steel, making the caddy durable and fine to clean in the dishwasher.
Buy now £24.25, John Lewis
OXO Compost Bin
You don’t need to make a meal out of leftover scraps - simply scrape food waste into this 2.8L bucket-style bin. Once it’s full, use the handle to empty the bin outside.
Buy now £14.40, Dunelm
Addis Compost Caddy - Green and White
There’s no need to ferry food waste back and forth to the bin - messing up your entire kitchen in the process - when you can set this compact 2.5L compost bin right on the countertop.
It helps to break down food waste, while also trapping in odours. Cleaning it is a doddle: not only does this bin come with 20 liners, but the inner bucket is detachable so that you can give it a spruce easily.
Buy now £12.00, Argos
