Composting in Style

Composting is the bargain lover’s deal of the century. Take something you were going to put in the garbage, and quickly and easily turn in it into one of the best soil amendments money can buy—only it’s free! The practice offers the bonus of keeping organic material out of the waste stream, so you’ll be doing your part to relieve the burden on overtaxed landfills. And it couldn’t be simpler. Although hardcore composters may work endlessly with the “formula” of their compost pile, you can start composting now with little expertise. Buy or make a simple composting bin—or just create a pile in a secluded corner of the garden where air flows freely—start collecting organic matter, and poof, you’re on your way to black garden gold.

One of the several handsome pails

offered by Norpro. (Photo courtesy of Norpro.)

No matter how you choose to compost, chances are that kitchen scraps are going to be a big part of that effort. Just about everything you use in cooking (minus synthetic materials and any animal fats or proteins) is fair game. The smaller the bits, the better, but pretty much any vegetable scraps will work. The trick is not ruining the look of your kitchen while you collect the scraps. The handiest place for your indoor compost pail is right by the sink or your prep area, but few things are as sure a design-kill as a scratched-up plastic pail full of vegetable leavings. As “country” as your kitchen might be, that’s never a good visual. My suspicion? This is probably a major factor why so many people choose not to compost.

Never fear! You can collect compost food scraps in style; you just need the right compost pail. Look around a little and you’re sure to find many interesting candidates. Norpro makes standalone compost pails in many different styles, from clean white enameled pails, to more decorative designs. Like most standalone compost pails offered at retail, these include charcoal inserts to eliminate odors (although it’s worth mentioning that if you’re regularly emptying the pail and collecting only vegetable matter, smells and insects are rarely a problem).  You can find Norpro products at Amazon (www.amazon.com) and the unrelated Norpro Webstore (www.norprowebstore.com).

The stainless steel pail from Simple

Human, showing the charcoal cartridge

that keeps things smelling fresh.  

(Photo courtesy of Simple Human, www.simplehuman.com.)

As you might expect of a company that specializes in hip, enlightened design, Simple Human offers a compost pail that are, well, simply elegant. It's as attractive as any other countertop fixture you might own. You’ll find their pails and other products at www.simplehuman.com.

Into a more modern, sleek vibe? Blanco (www.blancoamerica.com) has you covered with their Solon composting system. A stainless steel pail slips right into a hole in the counter and is covered up with a low-profile lid. The hole can be cut in just about any countertop that has room underneath for the pail, meaning you can position near food prep areas to make it as handy as possible. It's finished with a sophisticated recessed lip. When it comes time to empty the pail, remove it using the handle that slots out of the way at other times.

Blanco's Solon compost system makes recycling kitchen scraps easy.
(Photos courtesy of Blanco, www.blancoamerica.com, (800) 451-5782.)

Pick the solution that works best for you and your kitchen design, because doing right by the environment and your garden doesn’t mean sacrificing style. Composting, who knew it could be chic?

Cool Countertops with Big Green Cred

Consider the mighty countertop. You may not have the cash to plunk down for a whole new suite of chef-quality appliances or a wholesale kitchen remodel, but you can still transform the look of your kitchen quickly and inexpensively by just replacing your countertops. As much as dingy, timeworn counters bring a kitchen design down, the right new countertop totally revitalizes the room. Counters are also valuable real estate in the kitchen, serving as crucial prep areas. Fortunately, some of the most beautiful are also some of the most eco-friendly choices. That’s because a whole slew of eye-catching countertops are made from different recycled materials.

A dynamic Vetrazzo kitchen countertop rocking a stunning kitchen 

design, and in closeup below. (Photo courtesy of  Vetrazzo®.)

Some of the most popular recycled countertops are made from glass. Vetrazzo (www.vetrazzo.com) is touted as the “original glass countertop”, with products crafted from any amazing variety of 100-percent recycled glass. Including waste from broken stoplight lenses to recycled beer bottles, the colors and styles available reflect this diversity; every color of the rainbow is represented in the product mix, as well as color blends. The look of any particular counter is unique, because the size and shape of the glass pieces differ counter to counter. IceStone (www.icestone.biz) crafts counter slabs from 100-percent recycled glass, portland cement and pigment. The appearance of an IceStone surface is more regimented than a Vetrazzo surface; the glass pieces appear to be a more uniform size and the appearance of background binder is more dominant. Most recycled glass surfaces are fairly pricey, and are best installed by certified professionals.

Looks like slate, but it's paper! (Photo courtesy PaperStone® 

Evergreen | Photo: Paneltech Products, Inc.) 

 You’ll also find engaging countertops created of reused paper and wood products. Shetkastone (www.shetkastone.com) creates solid-colored countertops from post-consumer and post-industrial paper mixed with binders. PaperStone (www.paperstoneproducts.com) is also made from post-consumer recycled paper saturated with proprietary resins and natural pigments, creating a non-porous surface. Cuts or abrasions can be sanded or rubbed out with an abrasive pad. EcoTop (www.kliptech.com) counters are manufactured using equal parts post-consumer recycled fiber and bamboo fiber, bound with water-based resin. The EcoTop process allows for very light counter colors, and the surface is scratch resistant. Recycled paper countertops are generally lightweight and most can be installed and modified by a homeowner with moderate DIY experience. 

Several manufacturers recycle stone waste in their products. Lithistone (www.lithistone.net) is one of the most prominent manufacturers, using a natural inert binder to hold together sand, pieces of quarry stone, and other recycled materials. Their countertops look much like a solid-surface product.

Where budget isn't an issue, many manufacturers will even craft a custom countertop made to your specifications. Everything old is new again, and looking great in the kitchen!