Composting + Apartments = Challenging
While we know composting is an environmentally-friendly way to reduce waste, it can be challenging for those of us who live in apartment buildings. This is something I’ve struggled with myself as I’ve lived in high-rise buildings for the past 10 years. Here are a few of the challenges people face when composting in apartment buildings:
Lack of space: While Chicago apartments tend to be bigger than some cities like New York, they are still fairly compact. Composting requires space to store the food waste to allow the compost to break down. While there are some options in Chicago, it’s not ideal to store a big bucket in a small space nor is it ideal to have to take your compost to a drop off location.
Lack of Access to Outdoor Space: Composting on your own requires exposure to air, water, and sunlight in order to be successful, most of which apartment dwellers tend to lack.
Limited Composting Options: Many apartment buildings don’t offer composting options (yet!), and residents are often unable to compost on their balconies or patios due to rules and regulations.
Odor Issues: Composting can produce odors that can be unpleasant for residents and neighbors. Apartment dwellers often have to worry about the smell of their food waste, making them hesitant to compost unless they know they can dispose of the compost in a timely manner (or store it in their freezer like our co-founder, Lily, has done!).
Pest Concerns: Composting can attract pests including rodents and insects. This can be a concern for apartment dwellers, as these pests can be hard to get rid of (anyone who’s had fruit flies can attest to this!).
All of these challenges are reasons why Demi can work for you! Our containers are small, so they don’t take up too much space. We do the composting for you which means you don’t need access to outdoor. And, we take care of the composting for your building, helping not only you, but other residents as well. Since you can change out your composting container frequently, you never have to worry about odor or pests.
Interested in getting Demi into your building? Please reach out to us at hello@demicomposting.com!