How to Make Your Own Turnable Compost Bin
Composting is one good way to reduce your environmental impact. Composting takes advantage of the fact that organic matter naturally decomposes over time. By composting certain kinds of food and yard waste, you can help the environment by preventing these materials from having to be hauled to a landfill. Composting also helps with your gardening or landscaping as it provides vital nutrients that help plant life grow. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- 30- to 55-gallon plastic trash can
- Tape measure
- Bricks or cinder blocks
- Marker
- Saw or box cutter
- Drill
- Hinges
- Hasp closure
- Screws
- Leather cord or twine
Instructions
-
-
1
Buy a 30- to 55-gallon plastic trash can with a tight-fitting lid. Measure the length and width of the bin.
-
2
Choose the spot where you will put the bin. Some people like putting it outside of their kitchen window so they can throw food directly into the bin when the weather is bad. Others prefer a spot near their garden. Pick a leveled site that has good drainage.
-
-
3
Use bricks or cinder blocks to build a platform for the bin. Follow the measurements that you took of the bin.
-
4
Use a marker to draw a rectangular box that's big enough for a shovel to fit in on the side of the bin. Cut the opening with a saw or box cutter.
-
5
Drill holes into one side of the opening, and use them to attach hinges to the bin. Attach the piece that you cut out to the hinges.
-
6
Attach the hasp closure and screw it into place on the opposite side of the hole from the hinges. Use a 10- to 12-inch leather cord or piece of twine to keep the door closed.
-
7
Drill holes in the bin that are 4 inches apart by using a 1/2-inch bit. The holes allow air and worms to enter the bin, and water to drain out.
-
8
Use the bin to compost green scraps (vegetables, grass clippings, leaves) and brown scraps (coffee filters, wood, shredded cardboard and brown paper bags). Add enough water to the mix to make it moist enough so that a few drops of water will drain out if you grab a clump of compost.
-
9
Turn the compost by laying the bin on its side and rolling it off the stand four or five times. Then, roll it back and set it upright again.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Do not add meat or dairy products to your compost, as you will attract animals (and the smell will be unpleasant). Also, do not add dog or cat waste, as the heat generated by the composting process will most likely not be enough to kill the bacteria in the waste.
