The Composting System
This pattern is shaped by
Problem
When organic waste — food scraps, garden trimmings, leaves — is sent to landfill, it generates methane (a potent greenhouse gas), the nutrients are lost, and the household must buy fertilizer to replace what it threw away. The loop is broken at the kitchen bin.
Evidence and Discussion
Composting returns roughly 30% of household waste to productive use. The design challenge is making it convenient enough to actually happen: the kitchen collection must be within arm's reach of the prep area, the outdoor composter must be accessible in winter, and the finished compost must have a destination (the garden, the greenhouse, the rain garden).
Therefore
design the kitchen with a built-in organic waste collection point within arm's reach of the prep surface — a countertop bin, a pull-out drawer, or a chute. Place the outdoor composter on the path between the kitchen and the garden, accessible without going through deep snow. In cold climates, consider a tumbler composter (which works year-round) or a vermicomposting bin in the greenhouse. Close the loop: compost feeds the garden, the garden feeds the kitchen.