Worms are eating down food waste

Composting in the winter months is a little hard in Idaho because of the weather. That’s why indoor vermicomposting is so popular.
Vermicomposting is composting with worms in your home. Some people have their composting bins in their pantry. It’s a way to prevent food waste from going to the landfill, and here’s how you can make your own.

Jennifer Werlin, executive director of Teton Valley Community Recycling, said, “You’re taking something that’s waste that you’re throwing away and making it have value.”

In 2014, 133 billion pounds of food went uneaten in America, but using little red worms could be the solution to all that waste.

“The goal is to reduce the amount of waste sent to the landfills,” Werlin said.
To build your own composting system, you’ll need a bin. Drill holes in the bin for air flow, add red worms, which can easily be bought online; add your food waste.

“All of this is produced by food waste, food scraps,” Werlin said. “Then you add some bedding because you’re creating a habitat for the worms and I just use shredded newspaper. Over a period of three to six months the worms will break down the food scraps and produce this really nice compost.”

The only foods not recommended for the compost bins are meats, dairy products and grains because they take longer for the worms to digest.