You might have walked past them and confused it with modern street art, or you already know them; Worm hotels. Currently, Amsterdam counts more than 100 of these creative towers that produce fertile compost from our organic waste. This number will likely increase as the municipality of Amsterdam has approved additional locations to meet the high demand of conscious citizens ready to start composing themselves.

The high demand reflects the increasing interest in a green solution regarding organic waste. Before, everything was discarded in the same trash cans. So this is a shift towards sustainability we love to see! However, studies also reveal a different side of the coin.

How does it work?

Worm hotels are containers shaped like boxes or towers that can be found at many street corners and neighborhoods. They are often made of sustainable pressed grass or wood. The hotels are filled with thousands of living worms who love nothing more than to eat citizens’ organic waste. A 945-liter work hotel even has the capacity to take care of the organic waste of 20 to 30 households. Amazing, right?. We feed them waste, and in return, they supply us with highly nutritious compost, perfect for the neighboring gardens and parks. For instance, the compost produced by the worm hotel next to Sarphatipark in Amsterdam is also used to maintain the park. Worms need approximately 4 months to transform waste into compost. The worm hotel isolates the worms from cold temperatures so the hotel can stay outside throughout the whole year. Of course, they should never be overfilled as this might harm the worms.

“Worms have played a more important part in the history of the world than humans would at first suppose”

- Charles Darwin

What is okay, what is not?

Not Allowed:

Meat
Pasta and bread
Oil or sauce
Cooked food
Cut Flowers
Cat-litter
Excrements of large pets such as dogs or cats

Allowed:

Uncooked kitchen-waste such as peels, vegetables, teabags, eggshells
Small pieces of cardboard, kitchen-paper
Shredded garden-waste
Excrements of small pets such as hamsters or bunnies

Too good to be true?

Enthusiasm can often be misleading. During a study of the HvA, researchers found that worm hotels do not decrease Commission when compared to the current solution, incineration. This is because the traditional incineration approach, whereby waste is burned, produces heat and energy that can be used for heating buildings and consequently replaces less sustainable energy sources such as coal.

Still, the municipality of Amsterdam decided to support the hotels after careful consideration of its influences. This is because worm hotels offer other advantages. Namely, the same study further revealed that worm hotels do positively influence the community and sustainable awareness. Based on a sample of 78 citizens, 60% know significantly more about composting after a worm hotel was introduced. Further, residents connect and bond as worm hotels require maintenance. Lastly, worm hotels create jobs although this number is relatively small. Conclusively, the bottom-line impact of worm hotels is positive as stated in the referred study. So even though it is not perfect yet, investing in a worm hotel is still 100% worth your time.

How can you participate?

Did we get you interested? You can participate by:

Signing up via wormenhotel.nl, where you can ask for access to a worm hotel or enter the waiting list if the hotel is already full. As worms need their time to eat our waste, worm hotels cannot be overfilled so participation is strictly monitored. The worm hotels are locked with a combination lock to make sure the creatures are safe and happy.

Alternatively, one can buy a private worm hotel. Websites such as balkonton.nl offer a selection of varying prices. They also sell the necessary worms which cost between 10-20 euros. Great for on your balcony if you don’t have a lot of space at home or if you don’t have access to a garden!

Even better and cheaper, using just two buckets and taking ten minutes of your time, anyone can build a miniature worm hotel. It can be placed on a balcony or in a private garden. If done correctly, worm hotels do not stink as composting is an aerobe process. Additionally, building a private worm hotel is a great and fun opportunity to involve and educate children about composting. Follow these instructions (or watch the instructive video below):

Gather two buckets (with the lid) and a screen. A flyscreen/net works just as well.
Cut eight holes into one of the bucket’s plastic lid. The holes should roughly be the size of a 2-euro coin. The holes in the lid serve as ventilation.
Cover the holes by glueing pieces of the screen over the holes. Use waterproof glue or calk for durability. Let it dry thoroughly.
Next, drill small holes into the bottom of the bucket A. Cover the holes with a screen like described before. These holes allow excess moisture to flow out. The screen protects the worms from falling out of the holes. Tip: the excess water can be used as a liquid fertilizer if mixed with water.
Place bucket A with holes into the complete bucket B.
Soak shredded newspaper in water and fill the bottom layer (2cm) of Bucket A.
Add a layer of garden-earth and the worms which can be bought online (balkonton.nl) and cost between 10-20 euros.
Add your organic waste and make sure only to add waste that is allowed (check overview above). Make sure the system stays moist and away from direct sunlight.