Every day, we throw away almost one billion meals, but there’s a lot we can do to change things, one step at a time.

For those of us who live in apartments, however, food waste disposal can be challenging and unpleasant.

There are many ways that you can reduce your own carbon footprint by adopting healthy behaviors and through the power of modern technology, creating less mess and less stress along the way. Let’s look at some food waste recycling ideas built specifically for small spaces.

Here are some of the frequent solutions for eco-conscious apartment dwellers:

Under-counter compost pull-outs: Add bins to your kitchen cabinets. They hide the food waste behind the cabinetry, which solves the immediate problem. However, these cabinets can end up trapping accumulated odors, and they do not provide a long-term solution, but they can buy you time before the inevitable march to the landfill.

Built-in countertop chutes: Some homes have a hole cut directly into the countertop with a chute that ends in an outside bin. This also resolves the immediate problem, but whatever goes in the bin ends up in the landfill. And if it is not properly addressed at the organic level, we’re left with the same problems as before.

In-sink garbage disposal: American kitchens often have garbage disposals. This mechanical under-the-sink grinder grinds food and then uses water to flush it away. But adding things like meat, fibrous vegetables, and oils can quickly clog them, so they need plenty of water to flush out the waste.

These are more permanent structures. Despite some of their drawbacks, they are still great options to consider utilizing and expanding on, especially if you have an accommodating landlord or if the space you own happens to be on the small side.

Nature has a natural way of taking care of and healing itself, provided that we see ourselves as partners in the process.

There are many ways that give Mother Nature a boost when it comes to dealing with compost, including pickling organic waste or using worms to break down the food waste into scraps. Of course, traditional composting methods also apply here, as does an increasing number of municipal compost programs.

While natural methods tend to be very planet-friendly, they’re not always feasible. Many of these natural solutions can be appetite killers or require a lot of space, or are beholden to powers beyond your kitchen.

While a few people would not mind a worm farm producing compost in their tiny kitchen, many prefer a modern-day solution.

Technology brings us electric food-waste recyclers that take highly putrescible, or “ready-to-rot,” food waste and remove the moisture. These recyclers then grind the food scraps into a nutrient-rich, soil-boosting product without producing harmful methane gas. This can happen in mere hours without the need for plumbing changes or inviting pests.

The modern world offers technological solutions, and an electric food recycler is a game-changer for small spaces. It can sit on a countertop, table, or anywhere with access to a plug. It bypasses the mess of biological systems and the permanence of plumbing fixtures. Using heat and its great grinding abilities, it transforms scraps into half as much in a matter of hours.

Some methods of food waste disposal will get rid of food, temporarily, or until garbage day, but won’t actually offer a recycling option. They may also come with significant hurdles for small-space living. Consider challenges such as:

• Adding a permanent fixture might not be permitted, particularly if the unit is leased.
• Making changes to the plumbing system or cutting into countertops could result in more problems than they are worth.
• Adding garbage disposal units could also be out of scope on your lease agreement.
• The option of having live worms and fermenting stations isn’t very appealing.
• It’s also unhygienic to have decaying food waste in your kitchen for weeks at a time, and especially for meat scraps that can breed particularly toxic bacteria.
• Even before pests like fruit flies make themselves at home, the smell would already be a very unwelcome presence.

Knowing what to avoid and what doesn’t work is just as important as knowing what does; keeping these drawbacks in mind can help you plan for a future that’s literally sustainable for not just the planet, but your own home life.

There are different ways to reduce food waste. Some methods help your kitchen; others help the planet. The best of both worlds is when these two things combine, and many of these solutions do just that.

By changing how you do things, you can adopt a recycling mindset and start making a difference. Whether you start with a simple freezer bucket or an advanced recycler, the most important thing is to get started. The size of your kitchen doesn’t have to define your impact - just the will to start making a difference with what you have at your fingertips.