What can I put in my Swell Well?
Great question! Probably more than you think. We’ve created a quick reference list for you and a handy cheat sheet for your fridge so you always know what to put in the bucket and what belongs in your trash. Check out our list of items you can compost in our Swell Wells. Our cheat sheet makes great refrigerator decor!
What if one Swell Well isn’t enough for my needs?
Most of our customers have plenty of space in one Swell Well to hold all their food scraps over two weeks. However, if you need more space, we can always give you an extra bucket for a small fee. You can add an extra bucket to your membership through your account on the site.
Where should I keep my Swell Well?
You can keep it anywhere you’d like (we don’t judge), but we have a couple of suggestions that many of our customers like. You can keep the bucket in a kitchen cabinet (like under your sink), so it’s easy to access whenever you want to add food scraps.
You may also consider storing the bucket in your garage and carrying food scraps to the bucket once a day or so. We have some customers who leave their buckets on their back patio as well.
No matter where you store it, be sure to keep the lid on tight when you’re not adding scraps to it. Animal friends might think it’s pretty Swell too if you don’t keep a lid on it.
Won’t my kitchen stink if I collect food scraps?
It shouldn’t. The Swell Well buckets have tight lids that should prevent any smells from escaping into your kitchen (or wherever you store your bucket). If you’re having issues, just let us know. We can discuss several options that typically resolve any concerns.
Our founder has been composting for years and keeps her food scraps in her kitchen for up to a week before composting. She’s a seasoned composter (who also regularly interviews everyday families who compost). She’s got a slew of ideas about how to keep food scraps from being smelly in your kitchen!
How should I store my food scraps between collection days?
Our customers store their food scraps in a variety of ways. Most customers store scraps in a smaller container in their kitchen and empty it daily or once every few days, depending on the type of container they use and the volume of food scraps they have.
However, you can also keep your Swell Well in a place that’s more easily accessible (like under your kitchen sink or in your garage) and bring food scraps out to your bucket right away.
We’ve shared a post with a whole lot more details about different ways to store your food scraps before putting them in your Swell Well and leaving them out for collection.
Do I need to clean my Swell Well?
We recommend rinsing the bucket after each pick up. It helps to reduce smells and keep the bucket in good condition. A swish of water and a dollop of soap (if you’re feeling fancy) works just fine. If you want to skip a rinse or two, that’s up to you. We’ll pick up your organic waste either way, no judgment.
You can also consider adding a liner of newspaper or scrap paper in your bucket. This should help prevent most food scraps from sticking to the sides of the bucket. Here’s a quick tutorial on a fancy paper liner you can create if you’re up for it, but it’s definitely not necessary.
How does composting make my kitchen cleaner?
So you’re saying you didn’t read our composting primer yet? No worries. In short, composting reduces the amount of trash you generate and makes your trash stink less.
Here’s the real deal. Composting has been happening in nature for millions of years. It’s nature’s recycling process.
When organic matter, like your food scraps, decomposes properly with enough carbon and oxygen, it turns into a nutrient-rich humus, a substance that looks a lot like soil and is used to replenish nutrients in the soil. During this process, it actually smells earthy and even a little bit sweet.
In our trash (and in landfills), organic matter doesn’t have enough oxygen and carbon to decompose properly. As a result, those rotting food scraps release greenhouse gases into the air. It stinks, literally and figuratively. So really, those food scraps in your trash only smell because of all the other garbage preventing nature from breaking down the organic matter properly.
When we pick up your compostables and process them for you, they decompose with plenty of oxygen and carbon. So your trash doesn’t stink, you make less trash, and your compostables become nutrients for soil in our community.
Pretty stinkin’ neat right? If you dig it, sign up for your Swell Well!
