How to Use a Compost Bin For Eco Friendly Waste Disposal

Home composting is an environmentally friendly waste disposal method that promotes recycling and reuse materials through natural decomposition. The process utilizes nitrogen (the building block of life), water, and carbon to grow organic waste and break it down.

Composting is accelerated when there’s the right combination of air and water available to microorganisms. By layering greens and browns, keeping the pile moist, and turning it regularly, you can expedite this process and produce a finished compost product in no time!

Choosing a Bin

Composting is an effective way to divert food waste away from landfills, improve your garden’s health, and minimize your environmental footprint. But finding the ideal compost bin requires some careful consideration and research – something we highly recommend doing.

Before beginning your compost pile, you need to decide on a location. This will depend on how much organic waste you want to recycle and how much space is available.

Choose a location away from your outdoor living areas, property lines and that won’t attract pests or rodents. It should be well-drained and partially shaded, ideally with access to water nearby for moisture maintenance.

The ideal compost pile is one that has an even balance between carbon and nitrogen content, commonly referred to as the “C: N” ratio.

Some people argue that having a high C: N ratio is preferable to having one. As an easy guideline, consider filling your compost pile with green matter (food scraps, lawn clippings, leaves and grass) surrounded by two buckets of brown material (shredded newspaper, wood chips or dry straw). It’s essential to maintain this ratio when building up your pile so that it decomposes slowly over time and becomes rich in nutrient-rich organic matter.

Once your compost pile is up and running, it’s wise to periodically check its moisture level. This will determine when additional water or compost material should be added.

It is essential to segregate your waste when creating a compost bin. Doing so makes the process simpler and allows you to monitor how much material goes into the bin.

When selecting a compost bin, be sure to consider its capacity, what types of food waste it can accept and its ease of upkeep. A bin that’s too small may not have the capacity to handle all your organic material efficiently; on the other hand, one that’s too large may be difficult to turn and may dry out faster than smaller options.

Getting Started

Composting is an efficient way to eliminate yard waste and other organic materials without burning them. Not only does it conserve water, reduce greenhouse gases, and prevent landfill accumulation, but it also saves resources from becoming landfills.

Composting successfully requires frequent mixing and turning of the pile. Doing this keeps the compost aerated and decomposed, allowing bacteria and worms to do their work.

Begin by layering brown material like shredded paper, straw or chopped leaves onto a bed of carbon-rich green materials such as fruit peels, vegetable scraps or coffee grounds. After several layers are added, add water to moisten the pile and continue layering until your compost bin or pile is full.

Be sure to layer your compost in an optimal ratio of carbon-rich browns and nitrogen-rich greens. Generally, use about four parts carbon-rich browns per one part nitrogen-rich greens for best results.

Additionally, be sure to aerate the compost by turning at least once a week so oxygen can reach the center of the pile. When your compost reaches a temperature of at least 160 degrees, you can begin using it as an organic soil additive for your garden plants.

To eliminate odors, select a compost bin with an airtight lid and line the interior with biodegradable bags. GH Institute director Laurie Jennings suggests the BioBag brand, which comes in three- and 13-gallon sizes.

Another great option is a compost tumbler. These tumblers are perfect for small gardens or apartment balconies that have limited space, as they make composting fast and effortless.

For optimal performance, place your bin in an area that won’t be subject to weather extremes. Place it near a water source and away from any permanent structures for shade.

Once your bin is full, cover it with a piece of cardboard or newspaper to help with air circulation and keep out pests.

After around one month, your bin should look something like this:

Compost is created by collecting organic materials and placing them in a compost bin or pile. This can include food scraps, grass clippings, wood chips or any other yard waste that contains nutrients.

Maintaining the Bin

Ideal location for your compost bin should be dry and shady. This promotes optimal efficiency from the microorganisms that turn waste into compost, while preventing it from drying out too rapidly that you must keep adding water.

Maintaining a compost bin can be tricky without pests in it, but there are plenty of free methods you can use to keep them away. Best of all? These solutions are free and can be used repeatedly as needed for maximum pest protection.

One of the simplest and most effective ways to keep your compost smelling great is to spray it with scented oil. Not only will this deter slugs and snails from entering, but it will also leave the area smelling better for longer. Scented oil can be purchased at most hardware stores or even made at home using old candles and oil-soaked paper towel. Be sure only to apply small amounts at a time as too much application could cause the compost to spoil prematurely.

Harvesting the Compost

Compost bins offer an environmentally friendly solution to disposing of organic waste that would otherwise end up in landfills or incinerators. Not only do they save space, but they also reduce air emissions produced from burning garbage at incinerator plants.

Composting transforms kitchen scraps and other organic matter into rich, dark soil that can be used as natural fertilizer in your garden. Compost also makes an excellent mulch to cover the tops of beds to reduce soil erosion and promote plant health.

Composting food scraps and yard trimmings requires creating a pile that balances brown dry carbon-rich materials with green fresh nitrogen-rich materials. Doing this will speed the decomposition process while keeping the pile from becoming too wet or too dry. An ideal pile should have 2-6 inches of course material such as shredded leaves, wood chips or straw at the bottom for drainage and aeration; then add materials in layers alternating between “greens” (food scraps, grass clippings, manure) and “browns” (leaves, straw or woody material).

Composting can take anywhere from two weeks to several years, but you should begin adding materials as soon as possible. Mix the material thoroughly so that the decomposers have an easier time breaking it down.

Once your compost has completed its cycle, you can harvest it for use in your garden. To do this, scoop out the finished compost and thoroughly sift through before applying it to plants.

Harvesting compost is simple. Use a plastic tote, bucket or barrel that’s large enough to contain the finished compost. Make sure you turn it regularly so that all worms and finished compost are distributed evenly.

You may prefer using a compost tumbler that allows you to roll it or crank a handle. These are easy-to-use and often the preferred method for turning compost piles.

The Hungry Bin is an ideal composting bin for this task, as the trays at the bottom separate compost from worms as it passes. That means you’ll have almost completely worm free compost to harvest and reuse in your garden.