Freeze food scraps until you can compost them

If you cannot compost immediately, store food scraps in a container in your freezer. Freezing prevents odor and decomposition. When your container is full, take it to a community compost site, add it to your backyard pile, or process it in a composter.

Why It Works

Freezing is the simplest bridge between generating food waste and having a composting solution. It eliminates the number one complaint about collecting scraps — smell and fruit flies — and lets you batch-compost on your own schedule.

Tips

• Use any container with a lid — an old ice cream tub, silicone bag, or dedicated compost container
• Freezing also breaks down cell walls, making scraps decompose faster when added to a compost pile
• This method works perfectly for apartment dwellers who drop scraps off weekly at a community site
• Label the container clearly so household members do not mistake it for food