Get Yourself Some Red Wrigglers

Worm bins have moved from the fringes of hippiedom to the backyards of urban home and apartment dwellers. They're an alternative to composting. While compost heaps use heat, moisture and bacteria to break down biodegradable vegetable matter, worms do the same in a lesser amount of time. (No dairy, no meat.)

Here's an LA Times article that talks about efforts by these city-dwellers to get their worm bins up and running.

It might make for a nice science project that you can initiate with your kids. Have them figure out what the worms can digest and why. As a side benefit, it's a great way to get rid of shredded paper that would otherwise be recycled.