Squirmy, squishy worms. Some people love them, some people not so much. Us? We fall into the first category. Worm composting (vermicomposting, if you're fancy) is an incredible composting method that allows you to reduce your own waste at home (whatever home may be to you). Discover the five fun benefits you get from worm composting.
1. Worms Can Eat Their Weight in Food
Worm compost works pretty simply at a first glance. You feed the worms your food scraps and "brown" materials (newspaper, an Amazon box, junk mail, etc.), the worms eat it, they poop it out, and BAM! Compost. (There is a bit more science behind it, but those are the need-to-know basics.) In optimal conditions, dependent on temperature, size of the bin, moisture levels, and more, Red Wiggler worms can eat their body weight in organic waste each day! Click here to read an article from Cornell University about the phenomenon.
2. Vermicompost is Great for Plants
Compared to "standard" composting methods, worm compost (on average) has higher levels of nitrogen and phosphorus - making it an excellent amendment to a garden or houseplant. Thanks to its density, it is also able to retain moisture at a higher rate than the soil you might already have!
3. Beneficial Bacteria
The critters in a compost bin go far beyond worms! There are millions of beneficial microbes, fungi, and bacteria in worm castings (worm poop) that helps materials break down quicker in the compost bin and makes the end-use compost great for plant growth.
4. Worms Eat What Recycling Bins Won't
Only 5% of recyclable materials that make it into a recycling center actually end up being recycled. Some have food waste, some are too small to process, and some just can't be recycled even if they are an organic material (like paper towels or napkins). Worms can eat just about any organic waste!
5. Apartment Dwellers Unite - Worm Composting is Easy to Do Indoors
When done correctly, worm composting is a smell-free, bug-free compact way to compost your food, allowing people in apartments, dorms, townhomes, and even van-lifers to compost (no land needed).
Let’s Go Compost is a community-led effort to make compost bins free and accessible. We upcycle empty bulk ingredient bins into free, food-safe worm compost bins that are donated back to the community. Click here to get your own free worm compost bin.