A number of years ago, I was in charge of renovating a 1900 heritage house (5,400sq ft) into 11 (now 12) large gorgeous rooms for affordable housing, for low income wage earners. The plumbing was all redone so it gave the opportunity to add things for the future, like plumbing for an extra sink/garburator combo for compost. People are pretty good about taking it out to the pile, but now there is a worm farm on the north side of the wrap-around deck, off the kitchen and that will work way better if the compost is ground up. My thoughts about how to use the garburator has resurfaced and I came across this thread. After reading, I think the best idea for this house is something like the five gallon bucket or drawer (as in Mother Earth News mentioned earlier) under the sink, with a couple of screens so that the compost can be saved and put in the worm bin right away and the left over liquid can be forwarded to the septic, or somewhere else downhill from the house (separate drain line is in place). The sink is in an anti room outside the kitchen but close. Later we can use recycled water for the garburator, as the bones for a system using recycled water for toilet flushing was put in place too. The water to the sink will be injected like a toilet from a camper so that when it is recycled water there is no chance that anyone would drink it. HMMM, maybe just use a toilet from a camper, bigger orifice, maybe use less water, getting compost into the garburator? I think that something like this would make it easier for 12 people to deal with compost, then running it through a food processor for the worms. I watched a documentary the other day that stated that worm castings are 6 times more potent than compost and no crows, rats, dogs and hopefully no more compost in the garbage. There is already a plastic container in one of the kitchen freezers for meat scraps. I drop if off the dock into the 'chuck' as a frozen block, which sinks right away and the crabs love it!! Thanks for all the ideas !!!! It brought me to the exact solution I was looking for.

The reason I put food in in chunks of whole is first off it is the worms job to do the work not mine. Second the moisture is released slowly into the bedding. This should let the right microbes grow just as needed. It is not the thorns of the pineapple that is the issue but putting a lot of it in the bin reminds one that pineapple is a meat tenderizer. How tender do you like your worms? Given enough bedding and an area to escape to non massive amounts of pineapple should be fine.

I don't know what "waste paper bin liner" is unless it is just a used paper bag, probaby made from recycled paper. If so, it is biodegradable and suitable for vermicomposting. I don't know what the "bat" could be. Guessing it might be some absorbent material that may or may not be biodegradable. If these bags are commercial for the purpose, the labelling "should" (here, anyway ) say so. Cuisinart makes a mini food prep processor which would work well for the task if you can afford it. If the newsprint is soy based black and white it is suitable for the vermicompost. We aren't so sure about color, and I think consensus is not to use slick pages, especially in a small bin. Vermicomposters shred newspaper so that air can move through it. We need to know more to give you more reliable responses: size of bin type of bedding quantity of worms location (if it is under the sink, air is restricted ) I recommend you do some more reading, here, and at other vermicomposting sites. There are as many ways to succeed as there are to fail. No doubt another follow up will "expound" on odors. Worms need: moisture, air, food, darkness & warmth. I am adding a link, but there is no Last Word on this topic. Here is a link that might be useful: Cornell Worm Composting Basics

My boyfriend is living in Knoxville until November 2015. He throws his compost in the woods behind the place he's renting, but we both know that's not the best place for it. Anyone willing to add our extra compost onto your pile so you can use it for gardening? Or can someone at least point us in the correct direction? We just want to donate it so it will actually be used! Thanks!