Not every house or building in the United States allows backyard composting or composting in any other part of the house. But you can have that opportunity to create Composting even in a small place. Therefore, let’s learn how to make a compost bin from a plastic dustbin in some simple and easy steps.
Table of Contents
- What Is Backyard Composting?
- Can You Make A Compost Bin From A Plastic Dustbin?
- How Do You Make A Compost Bin From A Plastic Dustbin?
- Step 1: Tools And Materials You Will Require:
- Step 2: Choose Your Plastic Dustbin:
- Step 3: Use The Drill Machine And Drill Some Holes:
- Step 4: Covering The Hole With Screening:
- Step 5: Decide The Best Location Of Your Composter:
- Step 6: Start Adding Your Compostable Stuff Into The Bin:
- Step 7: Try Using The Compost:
- Is A Compost Bin From A Plastic Dustbin Worth It?
- Buying A Compost Bin Or Having A DIY Compost Bin, Which Is Better?
- Final Thoughts:
- References:
If you have any used or spared plastic dustbins or color bins, don’t just throw them away. Because it can be used for making a Compost bin for your Composting goals inside the home. Please have a look.
What Is Backyard Composting?
Backyard composting is the simplest and most attractive way to manage the organic waste in your home.
This can be done in various ways, such as putting the organic waste into simple open piles, having some pits and trenches, and burying the organic waste in them.
It can also be done by enclosing the materials into drums or compost bins which is the topic we are having our entire focus on today.
It helps you organize, manage and use that organic waste more appropriately rather than just throwing or sending it to landfills.
Can You Make A Compost Bin From A Plastic Dustbin?
There are no hard and fast rules that would stop you from turning that plastic dustbin into the compost bin.
So, you should not find yourself in a problem regarding making a compost bin out of the dustbin. It is totally easier and simpler than you might have thought.
Just in case you want to read about how you can recycle old recycling bins, such as making compost bins from them, you can read our guide. Follow the blue highlighted text, and you will be there.
How Do You Make A Compost Bin From A Plastic Dustbin?
It might result in spending a good fortune in the form of money to buy a commercial-grade compost bin for your home for composting purposes.
Therefore, instead of spending 100 to 200 bucks on such kind of bin, why don’t you make one of your own from a plastic dustbin?
That’s the reason you are here, and I am gonna tell you how exactly you can make a compost bin out of a dustbin.
For making a compost bin from a plastic dustbin, you will need a plastic dustbin of a good capacity. Need some equipment and tools to drill some holes into that bin. After, apply some aluminum screening and put the organic waste inside it. It will be ready!
But for a complete understanding of how to do so, please look at these simplest steps to build your own composite bin from scratch. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Tools And Materials You Will Require:
At first, gather a couple of tools as these will be required to complete the process of making a compost bin from a dustbin. These pieces of equipment are as follows.
- A Drill machine
- A saw with 2 or 3 inches hole
- Find a plastic dustbin or a trash can that shall be of a good capacity. i.e., up to 32 gallons or even a bit larger than one
- A Piece of silicone caulk or any epoxy adhesive will be required
- Find aluminum screen fabric
- Organic waste which shall be plant-based
Step 2: Choose Your Plastic Dustbin:
In the second step, focus on all your nerves to find a high-quality plastic dustbin that would work fine for composting purposes.
It shall be of almost 30 to 35-gallon capacity, or it could be a little larger.
However, the lid of such a trash bin should be solid and rigid to ensure a tight fitting for maximum composting.
Pro tip: Consider using a metal trash bin (Stainless Steel Or Aluminum) if you have problems like rodents or other pests in your area with using plastic bins.
Step 3: Use The Drill Machine And Drill Some Holes:
In the third step, you will need that drilling machine with an almost 2 or 3 inches hole saw.
Use it and start drilling holes everywhere in your chosen trash bin. These holes shall be on all sides, including the bottom, sides, and lid.
Plus, the holes you will drill must be roughly around 6 to 12 inches.
The purpose of drilling holes is to ensure that a perfect airflow and necessary oxygen shall continue through the bin for an enhanced composting process.
Step 4: Covering The Hole With Screening:
In this step, you need to use that screening and cut it into smaller pieces that shall be big enough to cover each hole you have drilled.
Use a patch of this window screen and try to cover every hole inside that plastic dustbin.
You can also use Silicon Caulk, Glue, or that adhesive epoxy to secure these screenings inside the recycling bin.
Step 5: Decide The Best Location Of Your Composter:
Once you have gone through the above step, your compost bin will almost be ready.
Now, it is time to select the right place where you will place it and do the next stuff. So, find the most appropriate place inside your home to fix this composter you just have made.
If possible, find some bricks or high ground to put that compost bin on. It will allow easy and quicker circulation of the composter bin in that way.
Step 6: Start Adding Your Compostable Stuff Into The Bin:
Now, it is finally the time when you need to add the organic materials inside the composter.
This will be a start for your backyard composting, which will happen in such a small, decent, heavy-duty plastic dustbin you have created with your effort.
You will find materials inside your home, including the following.
- Those rotten fruits
- Peels of vegetables
- Coffee grounds
- Tea leaves tea bags
- Leftover food or cooked veggies
- Weeds
- Those shredded papers or newspapers
- Spent flowers
- Leaves and some other trimmings as well.
All these are considered organic waste, which helps build a full compost bin you really want.
If Green Materials:
In case your composite bin is fully built on all the green organic materials such as those peels of fruits and veggies, grass clippings, those weeds and grass clippings, etc.
In that case, the composter bin will start smelling weird, and you can also find it too wet.
Brown Materials:
However, suppose you will start filling the compost bin with too many brown organic materials. In that case, the compost bin will latterly fail to generate more energy and the necessary heat.
Plus, decomposing gets slower in that situation. These materials include those leaves, shredded papers, and coffee grounds.
What’s The Solution?
For this, always try to have a necessary ratio of materials as of 4:1 for browns to green materials.
Step 7: Try Using The Compost:
At this point, your compost will almost be ready. It is ready if you find it in a uniform and with a brown appearance.
The material you would have put inside has been fully broken down. This compost can be used in a lot of ways.
But the most amazing and appropriate way to use it is to use it to improve the soil’s fertility and texture before you plant anything on it.
This works the same as fertilizer in improving that soil.
Is A Compost Bin From A Plastic Dustbin Worth It?
Yes, a compost bin from a plastic bin is a total worth because of some significant reasons. The plastic dustbins you have in a good quantity would otherwise end in landfills, take up more space inside your home, and become a hazard at proper cleaning.
Despite, if you have just whitewashed or painted your house, you might have a good collection of these piles.
Therefore, instead of looking for more complicated ways to make composting possible at your home, try using these piles or your plastic dustbins to make this happen.
Buying A Compost Bin Or Having A DIY Compost Bin, Which Is Better?
You can go for both options. If you think you have enough money to invest in a compost bin made for composting purposes and can easily be bought, you can do that.
This would be like saving your effort and energy from such heavy work of building one of your own.
You can try investing in the IM4000 Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter if you want to buy one for yourself.
However, in the second case, if you think building your own one is not a problem, or you don’t have enough money to buy a new one, go for the next option.
Follow all the steps above and successfully build your own compost bin for composting purposes.
Final Thoughts:
Finally, if you have made up to this end of the article, I am sure that you have learned how to make a compost bin from a plastic dustbin. Things are very simple to do if you have the necessary equipment, tools, and materials. However, if you struggle with any queries, please let me know because I am here to provide you with the solution.
But for today, it’s been a pleasure since you have been here for those past 10 minutes. Thanks for visiting, and don’t forget to share if you liked it. Have a good day, and keep visiting for more information!
References:
by Glad, T.T., How to Make a Compost Bin.
McDaniel, A., Adler, B. and Relf, D., 1981. Building a Compost Pile.
James is an organic fertilizer professional who owns a successful organic fertilizer company in new jersey. He is an expert in waste management in both houses and community cases. In his free time, he loves to write about his experiences in the field.
