Some call it compost keeper and some call it compost bucket or compost crock. Whatever you want to call it the compost pail is the most important item in your home composting system. The compost pail is working as a convenient container to temprarily store your food scraps and other small organic matter so you will only have to deposit the kitchen scraps to your composter once a week or when the keeper is full. Do yourself a big favor and get a compost pail! It saves a lot of time and makes composting even easier.

You can buy an attractive stainless, ceramic, bamboo style or a simpler plastic compost pail. There are plenty of variations in style and colors to match your kitchen interior design.

And don’t worry about any smell coming from your compost pail — any quality pail has a replacable carbon filter installed in the lid. Just remember that the pail should be emptied once a week. If you do not use biodegradable bags in the compost pail you need to rinse it out once a week and spend a little more time keeping it clean on the inside.