10 Easy Pieces: Kitchen Compost Pails

The average American family throws away 20 pounds of food a month. This is the equivalent of stumbling upon a buried pirate’s chest full of jewels and gold doubloons–and then leaving it there to rot.

A kitchen compost pail is the solution. Look for one with a wide mouth (to make it easy to throw in scraps of all sizes); a tight-fitting lid (to trap odors inside), and a handle (or handles) for easy transport to the backyard compost bin.

Here are 10 simple and sturdy countertop compost pails for a kitchen:

From dinner to dirt, here are more tips for composting:

• Your First Garden: The Surprising (And Best) Reason to Start Composting
• 10 Things Nobody Tells You About Compost
• For a built-in compost bin, see 5 Quick Fixes: In-Counter Compost Solutions.
• 10 Easy Pieces: Wooden Compost Bins