Today, it is very easy to recycle some of your waste by composting it. This ecological technique works very well in flats. And here's how...

Composting is a way of saying goodbye to organic waste and significantly reducing the volume of your waste bins. People tend to think that this ecological method of reducing waste is reserved for people who have a garden, especially as the compost is intended to become fertiliser. However, even in a flat, whether or not you have a balcony, you can compost your waste.

All you need to do is buy or make your own home composter, which you can install in your kitchen, for example. Even if you don't have a particular aversion to worms, it is advisable not to start vermicomposting, which requires more cumbersome equipment (four bins in this case).

What to put in a flat composter?

Whether you decide to buy a designer composter on the Internet or use a simple plastic bin with a few holes (on the side), composting works the same way. Place your composter away from a source of heat (otherwise, beware of unpleasant odours) and fill it with your vegetable waste, egg shells, paper towels, used coffee filters. You can add cardboard, provided you moisten it first.

Please note that a few precautions should be taken: in a flat, do not pour animal remains, nor onion or garlic residues, etc., as you may hate the smell!

Making your own compost

The trick is to keep it moist: cover the waste with potting soil (or earth) or even dry cardboard, mix the compost once a week and moisten it regularly. To speed up the process, it is advisable to add a handful of stinging nettles and possibly, again if you are not put off by the little bugs, a few earthworms. These will enable you to make your organic compost in a few weeks, otherwise you will have to wait several months.

However, after the third week, you can collect a liquid called "compost tea". Diluted in water (10 cl/litre), it will be an excellent fertiliser for your indoor and balcony plants..