Answering the "What's in it for me?" question

Plenty of folks are interested in using worms for compost because they see the global benefit of recycling, and diverting a portion of the waste stream they create, keeping it out of landfills, which includes a range of benefits (less methane gas, slower growth of landfills, lower carbon footprint, and more).

But let's face it. There are some folks who need more a more immediate return on their investment of time and effort. So I thought I'd provide an answer to those asking "What's in it for me?"

Save money.

A driving decision for many people, understandably, is doing something because it saves you money (coupons are a great example). By vermicomposting at home with your own

This looks like more kitchen waste than a family might produce because it is. It's our collection bin for a deli.

worms, you can reduce the amount of garbage you put to the curb, and move to a lower-volume, less-expensive tier on your trash pickup. You will be amazed at how little garbage you create when you set aside your food scraps, napkins, paper towels, vegetable peels, apple cores, dryer lint and more.

A neat hobby to talk about.

Let's face it — lots of people struggle to find a topic of conversation at parties after chit-chatting about the weather. If you are a vermicomposter, it guarantees you something interesting to talk about. Whether other folks find vermicomposting fascinating or not will depend a little on you and a lot on them. I've found most folks are pretty inquisitive, even if they don't see themselves doing it anytime soon.

A way to get kids excited about science.

If you have kids or grandkids (or heck, even general kids from the neighborhood), they might enjoy playing with the worms - gently please - and learning some environmental science without even realizing it. It can also be a way to teach kids responsibility by caring for worms and checking on the bin regularly before they graduate to a puppy.

Less likelihood of a trash bag ripping and spewing garbage all over your kitchen.

Food waste is one of the heaviest items we throw away, and when you keep most of that out of the kitchen garbage, you're virtually guaranteed the bag won't rip open as you carry it from the waste pail to your outdoor bin.

These are just a handful of immediate, real-life benefits from vermicomposting, without going into the broader be global, act local benefits.