What if there was a way you could help your family, be good to the earth and be good to nature? When you found this article about how to make a compost bin, you probably were just looking for a DIY, not ways to be a hero!
And best of all it’s not expensive to do this great thing for the environment. In our article, we will show you an inexpensive and cheap way of making a compost bin.
If you are ready to get started, keep reading to find all you need to make the greatest compost bin ever.
Step 1: Understand Composting
Contents
Composting is easy, and we are glad you’re doing it. It’s not complicated, and it’s easy to get started immediately.
Composting is when you mix plant leaves, veggie peels, organic waste, and grass clippings, and they become a soil that is called compost.
You can compost anywhere; it doesn’t matter if you have a whole ten-acre plot of land or just a rooftop garden in a major city. It just takes a well-made bin!
Step 2: Pick Your Location
The second step of how to make a compost bin requires you to plan the location of your composting venture. Pick a spot that is convenient for you.
Make sure it is guarded against the wind, and you have ready access to the garden hose.
Be sure there is a drain system in place so that the bottom layer of your compost pile doesn’t get soggy.
You can make an indoor compost bin if you like, and we recommend it as much as an outdoor one. The indoor compost bin should be leak-proof, and you must have a lid on the bin, so no offensive odors bother your family.
Step 3: Gather Supplies
To make a compost bin that won’t quit, you need the following supplies.
- Drill
- Paddle drill bit
- Garbage can
Once you’ve assembled these, we can begin creating your compost bin.
Step 4: Get Your Garbage Can Ready
If you are upcycling an old trash can into becoming a compost bin, rinse it well with a garden hose first. The goal is to make sure all non-biodegradable bits are out of the can before it is to be used.
If using a brand-new can, make sure all the tags/plastic/other packing materials are removed from the can.
You may also use a plastic bin for this, too.
Step 5: Put Holes in The Bin
Affix the paddle bit onto your drill. Beginning just a few inches from your lid, drill holes into the can. Now add another hole three inches away from the first hole.
Keep doing this until you have reached holes that go along both the length and width of your trash bin. Do this on all sides of your can/bin.
Step 6: Clean The Can
Now wash out the bin or can once more. Your goal this time is to clean up any bits or shavings that came about as part of your drilling efforts.
Once this is complete, your compost bin is all ready to work.
How to Make A Compost Bin- Indoors!
Now you’ve got your compost bin set up outside. Perhaps you would like to compost indoors, too. That’s easy- we can show you a simple, effective, and cheap way to make an indoor compost bin.
Why Indoor Composting?
Composting your scraps is an easy and foolproof way of helping our planet, without much work involved at all. You can store your compost bin right under the sink or in the garage (some folks are lucky to have garages attached right to their homes). You can even put it on your counter too.
For our how-to, we used an old plastic container that was lying around. Chances are you have one of these, too, but if not, they are easily found at any major retailer.
The only caveat is that the container has to have a tight-fitting lid, and there must be ventilation holes also.
So long as you follow the steps, you will come to realize composting is easy, and you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner!
Step 1: Gather Materials
The materials for this are a bit more extensive than the ones for an outdoor compost bin.
- Drill
- Container w/ tight-fitting lid
- Dirt
- Scraps from kitchen
- Hot Glue Gun
- Shredded Newspapers
- Nylon Mesh Screen
Step 2: Make Holes in Lid of Container
Drill five holes, spaced out evenly, in the container’s lid. Your goal is to provide ventilation for your bin. Air is a necessity when it comes to composting as it helps the materials break down. These holes will do just that for your compost pile.
Step 3: Add Mesh Screen
Now cut a piece of the nylon screen that is large enough to cover up all the air holes. Use the hot glue gun to attach the screen to the bottom of the lid to the container. This helps keep pests like fruit flies from getting into the compost bin.
Step 4: Fill The Bin
Now comes the fun part- filling your bin with scraps and knowing what NOT to put in there. Begin by adding dirt to the compost bin and then place some shredded newspaper on that layer.
Now add in scraps such as veggie and fruit peels, eggshells, and coffee grounds.
Do this each day as you prepare or cook your meals. Do it as you clean out the refrigerator and cut up any really large scraps, as it helps them decompose quickly.
It’s a good idea to avoid adding fats, dairy products, and meat to the compost. These create very offensive odors and may even attract rats or mice.
Step 5: Stir It Up
At least once per week, aerate your compost bin by stirring the mixture. Make sure you use a mixer such as a paint stick or old spoon that is clearly labeled as being compost only so your family will not accidentally use it for food prep purposes.
You can also use a hand tool such as a garden trowel to do this. You might also look into compost tumblers to improve your compost.
When you are ready to put the compost to use, add it to the outdoor pile, or go take it to a nearby compost drop-off zone.
Why Do Composting?
As you compost, you may encounter some naysayers who tell you composting isn’t worth it. Or, perhaps you are still on the fence and wondering why you should undertake such a task.
This section is devoted to telling you all you need to know about composting and why it matters!
You Save Money
If you own a garden, you can plan on buying lesser commercial fertilizing products. Composting is basically free of charge, save for the materials required to build the bin.
Compost will cut down on your water bill because you don’t need to water as often- it helps retain moisture in the soil.
If your compost is guarded properly, rainfall will not wash away the nutrients from the soil.
You Help the Planet
You are keeping needless scraps out of the landfills.
You are using less water and therefore putting less stress on your city’s water resources.
You are throwing out less garbage, which makes the sanitation workers’ jobs a tiny bit better.
Your Soil Is Improved
Compost helps bring nutrients back to the soil and aids in the maintenance of soil fertility and quality. You can check the quality of your soil with these test kits.
It gives soil organic nutrients and matter that helps boost plant growth and gets you better yields on gardens.
Compost is a mild and natural fertilizer that does not burn plants up as you sometimes find with commercial fertilizers.
You Lower Your Carbon Footprint
You will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air by trucks used to take our waste to the transfer station or landfill.
You will reduce the amount of runoff from chemical fertilizers that end up in our rivers, streams, and lakes.
You reduce the amount of methane that is created by organic compounds in landfills. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is more than 20 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. Composting is a good way to prevent this.
Conclusion
As you can see, it is a good idea to get into composting. You are going to save money and valuable resources. You are going to boost your soil quality and lower the impact you have on the environment.
Using compost in your soil will not only help fertilize the land, but it will bring to the soil tons of nutrients that will make your plants grow better than any commercial fertilizer will.
These chemical fertilizers are good for providing fast bursts of nutrients, but they’re not long-lived. Once the rain happens, these nutrients wash away and sometimes pollute our streams, lakes, and rivers.
Meanwhile, composting is safe and natural, and helps the soil stay moist. Plus, it’s easy to learn how to make a compost bin.
Whether you will be composting indoors, outdoors, or both, you are going to do right by the earth and for your plants.