How To Make A Compost Bin 101

October 13, 2015 - 2 min read

Don’t throw your vegetable scraps in the bin – instead, create your own compost bin! We’ve come up with this simple guide to building and maintaining a compost bin in your own backyard. Plus, we’ve got some easy tips to help keep your home eco-friendly.

Turn your trash into gardening gold with our easy-to-make compost bin. Our easy method will have you recycling your green materials in no time.


What is a compost bin?

A compost bin is an outdoor container used to turn garden and other organic waste into compost, otherwise known as fertiliser.


What can you put in a compost bin?

Compost
Green Waste

  • Tea bags
  • Grass Cuttings
  • Fruit & veg scraps & peelings
  • Plant scraps

Brown Waste

  • Crushed egg shells
  • Paper & cardboard products
  • Straw & hay
  • Vacuum bag contents

All of these items and many more can go straight into your compost bin.


How do you make a compost bin?

You can buy a pre-made compost bin, or make one out of wood, mesh, or plastic. Our compost bin makes use of an old, large plastic storage bin. Read on to see how.


1. Find A Storage Bin

Your storage bin will need to be quite large, and must have a lid. If you don’t have a storage bin, an old rubbish bin will do the trick.


2. Prepare The Bin

To create air circulation inside the bin, drill holes in the bin, about 1-2 inches apart. The size of the hole doesn’t matter, but make sure nothing can fall out.


3. Place Your Bin Where You Want To Keep The Compost

As this is not a jumbo-sized compost bin, this is perfect if you don’t have a lot of room. Keep the compost bin in a location you can easily toss kitchen and gardening scraps into.


4. Fill Your Compost Bin

Whether it’s fruit or vegetable scraps or peel, grass clippings, natural fibre clothing or paper, it can all go in your compost bin. Ensure you cut items up small so they will degrade quickly.

Compost


5. Maintain Your Compost Bin

Once a week, shake your compost bin or use a pitchfork to aerate the mixture.

If you’re noticing a foul smell coming from the bin, there is a good chance the compost is too wet. Add some dry leaves, hay or shredded newspaper to soak up the moisture.

You don’t want the compost to become dry either. Spray the mixture with water if it is very dry.


How to use compost

Use both the compost mixture and the water run off from underneath (can be caught by placing a container under the bin) on the garden as a high-quality fertiliser.

Compost


Do you have some large trees or scraps you can’t put in your compost bin? Find a rubbish and waste removal company near you to get rid of it in a jiffy.


Want to make your home more eco-friendly? Check out these articles for all you need to know: