What do you use to collect your kitchen scraps before taking to the compost pile?

[rachandlily]

First time newbie composter here....Trying to figure out what to use in the kitchen for collecting my scraps before taking them to the pile. Do I really need a charcoal filter? How about a tupperware? Is airflow important for my indoor scrap collector? I like the cute compost crocks but can't spend the $$.

[bcblondie]

I just have a 5 gallon pail outside my door. Our kitchen is our entrance anyways so.

[ASusan]

I use a bean pot with a loose-fitting lid. It sits right next to the sink. I empty it about once a day or every other day. In the dead of winter with 2 feet of snow on the ground, I left it sit on the counter for a couple of weeks, full. Never smelled. I'll have to empty it more often in the summer, as it will likely attract fruit flies.

[bcblondie]

That's so pretty for compost. lo.l

[mamaD]

I keep mine in the fridge in a bowl to keep it out of the way. (My mother would be wierd about it sitting on the counter- and she babysits almost every day). But lately I'm loving the new SunChip bags, I just hang on to the bag when the chips are gone, fill it up with scraps and take it out when it's full.

[bcblondie]

That's reason enough to start buying sunchips!!

[karika]

I use an old coffee container with lid. It gets full in a day or less, so that keeps me getting it outside. My roommate doesn't like it so this keeps it from smelling.

[Owen'nZoe]

For many years, I just collected everything in a bowl or tupperware container. Now I have a stainless steel compost pail from Lee Valley.

An empty kitty litter bucket under the sink would also work great.

[dannic]

I have a one gallon plastic bucket with loose lid that I use.

[Erinz]

I use a big (maybe 2 gallon?) camping style pot for our kitchen waste. It has a lid but I never use it. I keep it right next to the sink on a barstool. I like whatever container it to be big enough so if I don't make it outside that day it's not a big deal. I've also used whatever bowl was already dirty in a pinch (like when I get distracted by whining children and leave it out somewhere!)

[lucyem]

I just use whatever bowl is handy. I usually have 2 going, 1 for compost and 1 for the chickens. I make frequent trips by the compost on the way to the barn all day. Then I bring the bowl back inside and wash it.

[wholewheatchick]

I use a 6 quart stainless steel stockpot (a cheap one!) with a glass lid. It looks good sitting on the counter, and is big enough that I don't have to empty it every single day if I don't want to.

[LaLaLaLa]

I use tupperware with lids. I have a few that are a pretty large size--the ones I freeze a family-size serving of soup in, so half-gallon, maybe? That fills up in a day or two, and if I don't want to take it out I just keep the lid on and stack another one on top of it. I can't see spending the money on a container, and then having to keep spending money for the filters. It seems silly to me to take something earth-saving and turn it into a money drain.

[Ruthiegirl]

Bucket, bowl, whatever is handy.

I do like to put the compost in the fridge during the summer to reduce the number of fruit flies.

[SAHMinHawaii]

Plastic Coffee container with lid.

[Belle]

I use a 2lbs cottage cheese container that we keep next to the kitchen sink. It gets emptied daily.

[lmbjer]

Ours is kept in a ceramic lidded jar from IKEA. I keep in out on the counter all year except deep winter. We don't compost in the winter, my limits are two feet of snow

[rachandlily]

Hey thanks for all the feedback ladies! I'm using a tuppeware for now and think it will work all right for us. How important is washing it out between uses? Is that just to help with the smell and yuck factor?

[EricaDoula]

I found an awesome bright orange compost crock at Marshalls for $12! I was soo happy! It looks like this, but orange! http://www.gaiam.com/product/eco-hom...ord=%2709-1051

[kriket]

I have a SS canister that I got at GoodWill. It used to have flour in it (I think that's what it was intended for) but it only holds enough flour for like 2 days!
If that gets full before I take it out I will use tupperware. We bought some cheap coffee that is in the plastic container, once it's gone, I will save that to use when I fill up the big one.

I would love a really cute container, but I'm not trying to spend $50 on one I would get one of these if I wanted to spend money on compost.