How to Build a Compost Bin

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The phrase “compost heap” always brings to mind something that is dirty and smelly, an unpleasant and messy chore to be performed only with great reluctance, like taking out the trash. In fact composting is none of these things. It is a clean, efficient, controlled biological process that mimics the natural decomposition found in nature and speeds the process up greatly by tightly containing all the key elements in a controlled environment. 

Composting is of great benefit to both the composters and the earth in general – in the first case because the result is an enormously rich and bountiful and best of all free fertilizer for houseplants or gardens, and in the second because it cuts down on the amount of waste sent to landfills. Discarded food that is sent to landfills decomposes anaerobically and releases harmful methane gas, whereas during composting the same things break down naturally with no methane by product.

How to Build a Compost Bin
Learning how to build a compost bin is easy enough, however there are a few key points to keep in mind. The bin must have the proper combination of moisture, drainage and aeration in order to cultivate the an appropriately humid atmosphere to foster decomposition. It must however be fully enclosed and sturdy enough to deter scavengers like mice, rodents and raccoons (and sometimes larger ones as well, depending on your location.) These are the most important considerations that you must consider when you learn how to build a compost bin, however I’ll also cover a few additional things that you probably want to think about.

Situating Your Bin
When determining how to build a compost bin, one of the biggest indicators of how large it will be and of what materials it will be constructed is deciding where it is going to be located. If you’re going to be supplying your own yard wastes for the crucial nitrogen rich “brown” material, you may want to situate your bin near the garden or central debris collection point of your lawn trimmings. You’re also going to be regularly contributing food scraps and other detritus from your home, so you don’t want it located too far away. If you’re out in the country animals can be a big factor, so you may want to keep it close to your home for that reason as well.

The size of your household is important too. For more people, there will be more food wastes and therefore a larger bin necessary to accommodate them all. If you have a large family but a small yard area, however, it may be necessary to size the bin in order to get the correct ratio of the materials you have (in this case you’d end up discarding some of your kitchen scraps, unless you could locate an alternate source of lawn trimmings from a neighbor or friend.)

Material
Many websites offer plans and blueprints that describe in detail how to build a compost bin. The most common do-it-yourself kinds make use of wooden posts and boards, which are sturdy, inexpensive and easy to build. You can also substitute sheets of plywood or sheet metal for the siding. Really, any sturdy materials that you have on hand will do so feel free to improvise, especially if the bin is going to be located out of site. The bin will also need to be solid and durable; a corrugated metal sheet or PVC sheet can be used. The lid must overhang the bin on all four sides in order to shed rainfall and prevent the  rain from washing away nutrients, and conditions within from getting too saturated.

Learning how to build a compost bin is not difficult. This biggest points to remember are that it must have both adequate drainage and adequate aeration, and must be kept damp in order for all the materials to break down correctly. Most websites also advise “turning” the pile every three to four weeks, so keep that in mind for your design as well.

For specific instructions and outlines on exactly how to build a compost bin, feel free to further explore the pages of this website.