I finally stopped freezing my compost before adding it to the bin

Used to freeze all my scraps because I thought it killed the smell, but then I read somewhere that it slows down the whole process since the worms have to wait for it to thaw. Switched to a small countertop bucket with a charcoal filter lid, about 8 bucks from the hardware store, and now I just dump greens in every couple days. The difference showed up within 3 weeks, no more soggy ice chunks stuck to the sides of my bin. Has anyone else found that pre-freezing actually makes the bin colder and slower, or was I just doing it wrong the whole time?

2 comments

2 Comments

veramiller27d ago

Huh, my bin breaks down frozen scraps just fine, maybe yours was too packed to turn.

finley_lane6226d ago

Wait, you're telling me you've never once frozen your scraps before tossing them in? That's wild to me. I've been doing the freezer thing for almost two years now, thinking I was being clever about odor control. Turns out I was just making cold mush that sat there for weeks. The ice chunks thing you mentioned is exactly what happened to mine too, they'd get stuck on the sides and just melt slowly, making everything a weird wet mess. I switched to the bucket method about a month ago and the difference is honestly night and day. My worms are actually moving around more, and the bin doesn't smell like a rotten salad bar anymore. I feel kinda dumb for not figuring this out sooner, but I'm glad I'm not the only one who fell for the freezer trick.