Starting a Compost Bin (Merged Thread)

110frankie

dunno whio Lancashire County Council use, but I ordered my bin on the Monday and it arrived on the Thursday.
It does seem to depend whereabouts you live.

Oh, mine was FREE !!!

chrisclark

They arrived today, not sure if posting here helped, but a 60 day wait suuddenly disappeared after posting here. yeah

nearlyrich

I have had a bit of a search on line for small composters etc but I can't find anything really small they are all huge! I can get a free one from Lancashire CC but I haven't really got room with all the other recycling bins we alreeady have in our small garden, it needs to be near enough to the bins to ensure we use it.

I just want to cut down the amount of organic waste we send to landfill, peelings, leftover food etc (don't tell the OS chaps:o ) Because we have fortnightly collections we bag all our rubbish to prevent smells etc and I know it's not good for the environment to use all those plastic bags that never go away.

If anyone has any ideas about where we can get one or any info on maybe making one? my DH is very handy and could probably make one in wood or something.;)

madmum33

My understanding is that the composting process relies heavily on large volumes creating heat, so small composters might not be as effective.

A space-saving option might be a wormery, have you thought about that? http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/Features/Compost_Heap/DIYwormery.asp

kate2510

Hi - yes a wormery might be better - you have to be careful about cooked leftovers in a compost bin attracting rats - especially close to the house.

scbk

A quick/cheap/easy way to make a wooden composter to a size convenient for your space is is something along the line of this :








4 posts knocked squarely into the ground (good bit in, further than i pictured), 3 sides of planks nailed/screwed on. The the front you just stack up with planks as you fill up with the material, and keep an old bit of carpet on the top to keep the flies out an the heat in. Then to empty/turn it take out the front planks.

nodwah

you could try a bokashi system, which apperently takes everything including bones and cooked food. I'm in my first week with one so I can't yet say how well it works but the bin is quite small - about a foot and a half high

kate2510

I hadn't heard of this so googled it and I might have a go...
This fabulous system allows you to turn ALL kitchen waste into nutrient rich compost. This includes meat, fish, dairy products and cooked food.
Simply place all kitchen waste into the airtight container and sprinkle with a handful of Bokashi. This is a bran based material made with a culture of micro-organisms which begins to compost the waste.
After a few days the contents can be safely transferred into a traditional compost bin or simply dug into the garden.
(My highlight - hopefully there will be some guidance in the instructions as to how long this should be.)
Liquid feed can be drained off and is alive with beneficial microbes. This can be diluted as a plant feed or poured down drains to prevent algae build up and odours. This process does not produce smells or attract flies so the container can be safely kept in the kitchen.
Comes complete with scoop, inner drain tray and 2 months supply of Bokashi. 18 litre capacity.
Dimensions: w 320mm (12.5") d 260mm (10") h 370mm (14.5")
This costs £30.00 and the bin has a tap to draw off the liquid.
Bokashi is the accellerator. Big bag of Bokashi is £4.00 so could probably be done more economically using an alternative container (with tap or add your own) :cool:

nodwah

THanks, My bokashi certainly doesn't smell and it's in the kitchen while it's filling up, then you swap it with the other one in rotation. The bran stuff smells sort of malty which is not unpleasant. Having read the instructions properly, when it's matured after a month or so you bury the stuff under a layer of soil and it continues to rot down.

Spikeybabe

http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/

Hi,

Please forgive me if someone has already posted this one (I did check but couldn't find anything).

It appears there are some cheap Compost bins going on the above (for area anyway).

Compost Converter (Con 220) - £8.00
Compost Converter (Con 330) - £10.00
Komp 250 - £20.00
Blue kitchen caddy 7lt - £2.00

Here's the link for my area http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/in_your_area/scheme_authorities/derbyshire.html