Compost Bin Design 2.0
A little over a year ago I built my first compost bin and while it worked okay and was cheap to construct, it had several disadvantages. I diverted 16 months worth of food scraps and several trash cans of leaves from the landfill. The biggest problem with the bin was the fact that it did not function as intended, to produce rich compost. Despite my best efforts, I never created any in the year I was adding and turning the leaves and food scraps. So with the move to my new house I had the opportunity to look at what worked and what did not and fix the issues.
Size
Two bins each 3 foot by 3 foot
My first bin functionally was the wrong size for me. I had a hard time bending into the bin to mix the waste at the bottom. The recommended size is a 3 foot by 3 foot by 3 foot bin. For my new bin I decided to go with a 2.5 foot tall bin, still 3 foot by 3 foot at the base. This made it just a little easier to mix the material at the very bottom of the bin, and when the time comes, scoop it out. One feature in both bins I opted not to create was a removable slat system in the front to that would have allowed me to lift out slats to more easily get the compost at the base. With my first bin I avoided it for the extra material and time it would have taken. This time it would not have worked well given that I wedged the bin between my garden shed and fence. If you have the space and material though, it will save you a little effort when the time comes to dig out the compost.
Design
Division in the middle to create two bins
My first compost bin was a single large bin which I came to find out meant I was going to have to find a place to store all my food scraps for several months while I turned the material in the bin. It should have been obvious, but it would be difficult to create usable compost for the garden beds while still throwing egg shells and banana peels into it every few days. This time I created a six foot long bin with a divider in the center, allowing me to keep adding to one side while I turn and finish the compost in the other.
Durability
Additional bracing to keep the lid sturdy
Durable is not exactly how I would describe my first compost bin. The trade off was that it was really cheap to make. I hated having to open the lid, a flimsy design with four one by two boards that were poorly screwed and stapled together. My current bin has a series of supports to keep the lid from twisting and breaking when I open and close it. Additionally, instead of a design with four 2x4's at each corner wrapped with chicken wire I used 4x4 posts with four 1x6 boards spaced with two inch gaps. This is a much sturdier design that still provides ample air flow into the bin.
Location
Finally, I chose a better location for the bin. In my old yard, I set it in the back corner, out of the way which seemed like a good location. I came to find that the bin really does not smell and if designed to look nice could easily have a spot closer to the house. While its location 45 feet away from the back door never stopped me from using it, it often meant I would let a lot of scraps pile up on the counter before taking it out on rainy or snowy days. My new bin is only about 20 feet from the back door and visible from the dining room table. It makes it much easier to run out and drop in scraps, even if the weather is not ideal.
The bin located behind my storage shed but within a quick trip of the house
It has only been a few weeks with my new compost bin, but it already is working out much better than version 1.0. It did cost more to build than the original bin (about $60 in material with a few pieces I already had on hand), but over time it will save me money in actually creating compost for my vegetable garden instead of just breaking down food scraps and leaves. While diverting the waste is still a bonus for the environment, I would rather be able to use the byproduct too.
