Bamboozle
Bamboozle make countertop compost bins from plant-based, BPA-free material — the bin that sits by the sink and collects scraps until you empty it, rather than an outdoor composter.
The range includes the Martha Stewart line, replacement filters and reusable liners.
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What a countertop bin actually does
It is a holding container, not a composter. Scraps go in during the week and get carried out to a green bin, a garden pile or a municipal collection. Nothing breaks down inside it.
That matters because it sets expectations: the job of the bin is to contain smell and look acceptable on a counter, which is exactly what a plastic ice cream tub fails at.
The filter is the part that matters
Smell control comes from the filter in the lid, not the lid itself. Bamboozle make both a standard filter and a hemp version, sold in packs, and they are consumable — they saturate over a few months and stop working.
If your bin has started to smell, a filter change is almost always the fix rather than a new bin. Worth keeping a spare pack, and worth noting that filters are currently out of stock here while the bins are in.
Liner or no liner?
You can use the bin bare and rinse it, or line it. Bamboozle make a reusable liner and a silicone liner bag, both of which mean you lift the contents out in one go rather than scraping the bin.
A reusable liner is the lower-waste choice; compostable bags are the more convenient one. Either beats putting a plastic bag in a compost bin, which defeats the exercise.
Keeping it civilised
Empty it every two or three days in summer rather than waiting for it to fill, keep it out of direct sun, and give it an occasional rinse with vinegar. Fruit flies arrive because of what is left at the bottom, not because the bin is open.
More in composting and eco-kitchen.