urban composting.

San Francisco (considered the 8th greenest city in the world) produces a 5 ft. high football field of trash a day. sadly, as much as forty percent of that waste is actually organic matter that could be diverted from the waste stream. (when organic matter is placed in landfills it produces methane, a major source of global warming. but when organic matter is composted it becomes nutrient rich soil.) worm bins are perfect for composting food scraps in an urban environment because they can be stored inside, allowing us to recycle our waste on site. worm bin systems are also easy to maintain and if worms are not overfed, bins are odorless.

supplies
-many counties offer discounts on worm bins, pricing them at about $40. if your county does not provide worm bins at cost, you can purchase the deluxe Wriggly Wranch Worm Bin for around $100 online.
-for a more inexpensive system, worm bins can be constructed from wood or created by drilling 1/4 inch ventilation holes in a plastic storage bin. instructions for building each type are available here.
-1 lb. of red wriggler worms cost around $20. local environmental and gardening organizations, as well as government waste management sites, often list local sources for worms.

starting out
-once you have all of your supplies, shred enough newspaper to fill your bin 3/4 full. sprinkle or spray the paper with water until it is damp, but not dripping. place your worms and a handful of chopped scraps in the bin on top of the bedding and cover with more shredded paper.
-leave the bin for a few weeks in order to allow the worms to get adjusted. once you see that the food has changed and is being eaten, you are ready to add another handful of food.

maintenance
-chop food scraps into 2-3 inch pieces before placing them in the bin.
-avoid meats, dairy, oil and cooked food.
-the bin should be damp at all times. use a spray bottle to dampen the newspaper if it is drying out or add dry newspaper if it seems too damp.
-alternate sides for feeding in order to evenly distribute food.
-as the worms reproduce you'll be able to feed them more scraps more often. it may take a few months before the worms establish themselves and can eat 1 lb. of food a day.
-the worm castings you'll harvest are nutrient rich and they can be used to fertilize and inoculate soils. always dilute castings by mixing with 5 parts soil or water for a "tea."

resources
-redwormcomposting.com
-Worms Ate My Garbage by Mary Applehof
-The Earth Moved by Amy Stewart
-worm composting handout (by Amy Stewart)