Sure-Close Food Scrap Collection Container
My friend and neighbor Howard stopped by last week carrying a small bucket in his hand. I was momentarily confused when he said he had something for me, and wondered what was inside. The “small bucket” turned out to be the coolest of inventions: a food scrap collection container, called a Sure-Close, to be used along with an outdoor composting bin!
I’ve been talking about composting for years, and took an amateurish stab at it once, but this charming gift was the impetus I needed to get going.
The Sure-Close food scrap collection container features:
- A vented lid to allow moisture to evaporate and feet on the bottom allow for airflow.
- A lid that stays open for easy filling, but stays closed if you accidentally drop it. They had me in mind when they added that feature.
- A lid that completely removes for ease of cleaning. I don’t know about you, but if something is difficult to keep clean, I’ll simply avoid using it. I like this feature.
- Several handles or grips. Many containers look nice but are difficult to use. The Sure-Close has three different grips, so it’s easy to lift, move and empty into your outdoor composting bin.
Why compost? From the Sure-Close website:
Most of the organic waste we produce comes from our kitchens as food scraps. A kitchen container that makes it easy for people to collect, store and transport their food scraps to the green bin goes a long way toward encouraging participation.
For Ottawa’s Green Bin program, the city wanted a kitchen container with ventilation in order to allow moisture to evaporate from organic waste. Without the moisture, contents are less likely to smell. Enter the Sure-Close kitchen container. Developed by two Ottawa-based companies, designers DW Product Development, and manufacturer Ottawa Mould Craft, this little beige beauty brings high-tech design and engineering to your counter top.
No more excuses. This will be gardeningnirvana’s year of the compost. I’m so excited.
Composting Recipes:
I jotted the following notes into a notebook two years ago so I would be ready to move from “accidental composter” to the real deal.
In half-inch thick layers:
- Combine 3 parts “brown” organic material to one part “green”
- 3 parts brown includes dried leaves, small twigs, etc.
- 1 part green includes grass, cut flowers, coffee grounds, egg shells, tea bags and fruit or vegetable peels
- Mix into a bin approximately 3′ x 3′ x 3′
- Add a small amount of moisture as needed and turn once a week.
Serves several plants.
Or, you can go with my friend Bob’s version:
- Take it all, throw it in a pile, come back in a year.
Gardening Nirvana 
Why is there a movie trailer at the bottom of your blog?
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I give up?
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I give up?
Seriously, I’ve been getting comments to that affect recently, though I can’t see the ad myself. I wasn’t even told about it, but since the hosting here is free, I guess WordPress feels free to do what they want.
I’m in the process of redesigning my Organizing site with the help of a WordPress guru at BlogAid. I’ll be self hosting that site, so will not have ads.
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That’s an attractive container too. In our old community the county provided a kitchen container and a large curbside ‘green’ bin with bi-weekly pickup. The kitchen bin was pretty simplistic and since I could smell it, I placed it in our attached garage. I did enjoy Bob’s home listings..hehe. It’d sure be fun to live at Pines By The Lake
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Wow! I’m impressed. That is quite progressive of a city to offer bins for both. We have “yard waste” pick, along with a recycling bin and trash. The city turns the green waste into compost and sells it back to the community.
I’ve been to the Lake of the Pines and it is indeed lovely. Bob’s a good writer, in addition to selling real estate. He was a college professor at San Jose State in my time there.
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How great to continue that connection through gardening. I never got to go to college or Unniversity. I think if I had, I might have enjoyed art history, english literature or even archeology. It’s nice that you got to stay in your home town.
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oops, ‘Lake of the Pines’
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You just listed my favorite subjects! I wanted to study botany buy my older sister told my mom it would be “too hard” and they convinced me otherwise. I’m making up for lost time now. I’m sorry you missed that opportunity. It sounds like something you wanted to do. My parents didn’t have a chance to attend either, so they were adamant that we all go, and we did. It wasn’t easy. I lived on minimum wage, and was hungry much of the time. Sometimes I worked three part time jobs to pay the rent, with very little left over. I’m glad I did though. Such great experiences. California is much more affordable at the State level (or was until the recent budget debacle). When I attended back in the early 1980s it was only $99 a semester.
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I’m so happy for you, sounds like it was a great opportunity. $99 a semester is really unbelievable. Kids here spend 10’s of 1,000’s. It’s out of control. It takes years to pay back student loans. But it is a necessity in this economy.
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It has gotten much worse here too. It’s sad. We invest so little in education. I believe that anyone who wants to pursue an education should be able to do so, regardless of finances. How can it not be a good idea to educate the masses?
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I agree, a Universal education foster’s acceptance of others & their ideas and broadens your concepts about the world. With all the technology today, the world is getting smaller and smaller, it’s a big benifit to have a society that can compete economically on that scale.
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Well said!
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My sister just showed me her compost bin provided by the city of Portland. It’s just like yours. It goes out with the green waste. I’ve always tried to compost and even used my Vitamix to liquify green waste and pour directly into the ground. Those little buckets make it easier for apartment dwellers to compost. Yay! My compost turned into a spaghetti squash.:)
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What an interesting idea liquifying green waste. The City of Portland is well ahead of the curve on this sort of thing. How awesome that is.
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Does this little contraption keep fruit flies out? If so, count me in. Those things drive me insane!!
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My guess is that it will do a pretty good job, as long as nothing goes in the bin with fruit fly eggs already on them. Do you have something like a crock you are using now?
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We use one of those plastic bins that the spring green salad mix comes in. If the cover isn’t on just right, the fruit flies throw a party. Grr.
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They’re clever little flies, aren’t they. Treat yourself to one of these bins. It’s quite spacious and the lid snaps on nice and tight. I threw some tire grapes in there this morning and you would never know.
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