A compost crock is a container used to hold kitchen waste while you wait to put it on your compost heap and is one of the most useful compost accessories. There are hundreds of attractive crock designs on the market.
An old ice cream container will suffice, but today we are spoilt for choice. Crocks are available in materials such as bamboo (from RSVP), ceramic, stainless steel and plastic with designs to suite every taste.
Having a container for compost in the kitchen increases the likelihood that you will use your kitchen waste for compost. It’s far easier than walking outside to a compost pile!
Factors to consider
When you’re looking to get a compost container for your kitchen, you should consider the following:
- Size – it should be a convenient size that will fit on your counter top, yet be big enough to store a reasonable volume
- Material – plastic may get stained over time. It must be waterproof. Look at ceramics.
- Design – to suite your kitchen
- Weight – make sure its not too heavy for carrying to the compost pile
- Lid – should be sealed to prevent unpleasant odours from being released
- Cleaning – how easy is it to clean the bucket? Does it fit under the tap and is it easy to reach all areas?
What Can I Put in the Crock for Composting?
The table below shows what you can and can’t put in your compost container.
| Can Compost | Can’t Compost |
|---|---|
| Vegetable and fruit waste Ground coffee leftovers Tea bags Stale bread Grains Doughnuts Cookies Pizza crust Coffee filters Egg shells Corn cobs and husks |
Meat Bones Fat Gristle Skin Fish Dairy products Grease and oils Magazines |
Interesting fact
If all discarded food in the United States each year were piled on a football field, it would be around five miles high!!