If you live in an apartment or townhouse, it's easy to assume composting isn't for you — no lawn, no room for a big heap, and nowhere obvious to put it. But food scraps make up a surprisingly large chunk of household rubbish, and when they go to landfill they break down without oxygen and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Diverting even a small caddy of scraps each week genuinely reduces what heads to the red bin, and gives you something useful in return. The good news is that several composting methods are designed specifically for small, indoor spaces.

A bokashi bin is often the best starting point for renters and small dwellings. It's a sealed bucket that ferments food waste using a sprinkle of inoculated bran, and because it's airtight it doesn't attract flies or give off a rotting smell — just a slightly sour, pickly scent when you open it. Unlike a traditional compost heap, bokashi handles cooked food, small amounts of meat, dairy and citrus, which makes it forgiving for everyday kitchen scraps. You fill it over a couple of weeks, drain off the liquid periodically (diluted, it feeds pot plants beautifully), and once full you leave it to ferment before burying the contents or handing it on.

Worm farms are another excellent option and fit neatly on a balcony, in a garage, or even in a laundry cupboard if kept out of direct sun. Tiger worms munch through fruit and vege peelings, tea leaves, coffee grounds and shredded paper, turning them into rich worm castings and a liquid 'worm tea' that's a fantastic fertiliser. They do need a little care — keep them out of heat, avoid overloading them, and steer clear of onion, citrus and meat — but a healthy worm farm is low-effort and virtually odourless. Both bokashi and worm farms are widely sold in New Zealand, and some councils offer them at a subsidised price, so it's worth checking before you buy.

The question small-space composters most often hit is what to do with the finished product when you have no garden. There are plenty of answers. You can top up pot plants and balcony planters, share it with a neighbour or friend who gardens, or drop it at a nearby community garden — many welcome compost and worm castings. A growing number of councils now offer a kerbside food-scraps collection (the green caddy or bin), so check whether yours does; if it does, that may be the simplest route of all. Apps and community groups like ShareWaste can also connect you with locals who'll happily take your scraps.

To keep things tidy indoors, store a small lidded caddy on the bench for daily scraps and empty it into your bokashi or worm farm every day or two. Line it if you like, but use certified home-compostable liners or none at all — ordinary 'biodegradable' plastic won't break down properly. Chop scraps small to speed things up, balance wet food waste with a little dry paper or cardboard, and don't panic if you get the odd fruit fly; a layer of newspaper on top usually sorts it.

The practical takeaway is that composting in an apartment or townhouse is completely doable — you just choose a method that suits your space rather than a backyard heap. Start with a bokashi bin or a worm farm, keep a bench caddy handy, and line up somewhere for the finished compost to go before you begin. Check your local council's website too, because subsidised bins and kerbside food-scrap collections are becoming more common and can make the whole thing even easier.