Worms of Your Own

Matt Miller, The Nature Conservancy

I lifted the coffee filter and found a raging party going on. A worm party, to be exact. Thousands of red worms crowded together in a wriggling mass as they enjoyed their morning coffee.

I wasn’t grossed out. After all, these little worms are my pets. For the past eight years, they’ve been eating, breeding and producing compost just 20 feet from my dinner table.

It’s true: My home has worms.

The colony of red worms resides in a small bin, a container that is both odorless and virtually unnoticeable to guests. Those worms also provide a valuable service: They turn our household vegetable waste—otherwise destined for a landfill—into rich, organic fertilizer for potting house plants and backyard gardening.

Vermicomposting—composting with worms—is an easy way to take care of food waste, even if you live in a small apartment.

A recent study by the Environmental Protection Agency found that more than 30 million tons of food is wasted each year, accounting for twelve percent of all household waste. About 98 percent of that food waste ends up in landfills.

That rotting food not only takes up space; it also generates methane—a major source of greenhouse gases.

You can do your part to reduce that waste: turn to the worm.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Marie W.

7:35PM PDT on May 22, 2012

More worms please.

send a green star

Laura M.

1:25PM PDT on May 2, 2012

I find them so lovely and cute! Does anyone else think they are just super cute? When I was little I liked playing with earthworms in the yard... I never knew how much good they were doing. ^_^

Debbie C.

9:38AM PDT on Mar 28, 2012

We use soil from our compost bin on our garden and it is full of worms. I used to freak out about the worms, but now I am used to them. They make the soil so rich.

Melinda offline K.

6:08PM PDT on Mar 15, 2012

I love worms, they are fabulous in the garden.

Kiana S.

4:25AM PST on Mar 3, 2012

Yay worms! I don't have a home of my own right now, but when I do you can bet there will be a worm bin sooner or later :)

Jay W.

2:46AM PST on Mar 2, 2012

i want to do this kind of composting but my husband wont allow it citing it would attract rats i disagree but cant get him to change his mind

Joellyn Y.

10:52AM PST on Mar 1, 2012

I've been wanting to do this for awhile, we have rabbits and i've heard the rabbit droppings are perfect to put in worm bins. Apparently alot of people just put bins underneath the cages and let the droppings fall right into the worm bins. Now I can't wait to get my bins started so I can reap the reward for my vegetable garden!

Elvira W.

8:39AM PST on Mar 1, 2012

I know these worms are good little guys, but I can't get myself to have the in the kitchen...My imagination is too vivid...

Diane P.

7:54AM PST on Mar 1, 2012

Sounds like a blast!

Mel M.

5:14AM PST on Mar 1, 2012

Thanks for the post.