Simple Ways to Build a Compost Bin

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Everyone seems to be going green these days. After thousands of years of abusing the earth and its resources, mankind has finally figured out that they need to be a bit more conservative with the resources they use as well as help to give back to the earth in order to preserve it for future generations. Composting is one of the ways which you can do these things.

By composting yard and kitchen wastes, you’ll avoid sending such items as grass clippings and leaves to fill up landfills, and you’ll also be making rich fertilizer which will give your soil a real boost. It’s not a difficult process in that there is very little you will have to do. The first step, however, should be to build a composting bin where you will keep your compost materials for the six months to two years it will take to naturally decompose them.

The simplest, and probably easiest, type of compost bin you can build is one made of galvanized chicken wire. You can either stake this unit to the ground if you have a spot where you’d like it to be permanently, or you can make it free-standing and, thus, portable. Being able to move the bin is a good idea, because that will give you easier access to the well-decomposed material at the bottom of the bin and while you allow the rest of the material to continue decomposing.

Another very simple bin can be made by attaching a framework of snow fence to four stakes. A good sized bin can be 3′ x 3′. Put pressure-treated wood or metal posts into the ground three feet apart to make a square. Then you can tie the snow fence to the posts with heavy wire. You can also attach the ending of the fence to the start with wire. Your snow fence needs to be 13′ long and at least 3′ high to make the bin large enough to be functional.

A worm compost bin is a good idea if you have a lot of fruit and vegetable scraps you want to recycle. Basically a worm compost bin is nothing but a wooden box with a hinged lid and a few drain holes in the bottom. You start by putting worm bedding material in the bottom of the box. This can be peat moss, brown leaves, or moistened, shredded newspaper and cardboard. Estimate the number of pounds of food waste you have each day, and add a pound of worms for each half pound of scraps.

If you have access to some old pallets, you can wire them together in a square to make a bin. In order to give yourself easier access to the material at the bottom of the bin, you can hinge one corner instead of wiring it shut so that you’ll be able to easily open the bin and remove the material you want.

A good type of compost bin is one that rotates the materials inside. Not only do you not need to layer the materials you put in, but you can toss in whatever you like and mix it up by turning the unit. A very simple turning compost bin can be made using a 55 gallon drum. Punch some air holes in the ends, and cut a door in one side. Hinge the door and add a stop so that you can close it. To turn the composting material, you simply roll the barrel.

Of course, there are also a lot of commercial composting bins available, and some of them are really fancy. However, you’ll find that a do-it-yourself compost bin works just as well as the more elaborate units do, and they will cost you much less to do the same job. For more tips and information on composting, visit www.CompostingBenefits.com.