Compost bin

  A compost bin is a container used to make compost. These bins are often made of hard plastic and are cylindrical in shape, sometimes resembling a barrel. Compost bins can be as simple as a square slatted enclosure or as sophisticated as a tumbler, which allows for the “pile” to be turned for aeration purposes.

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The advantages of using a compost bin as opposed to creating loose piles include the ease of turning the pile to allow for aeration and bacterial activity, keeping rodents and other pests out of your compost pile, and a containment of foul odors that can result from composting.

The goal of home composting is to provide the ideal environment for aerobic decomposition to occur. This environment allows for bacteria to do its job while providing a carbon to nitrogen ratio as close to the ideal of 25-30:1 as possible.

Yard and garden waste, such as grass clippings, leaves, shrub and tree waste, and sawdust and wood chips are ideal fuel for your compost bin. Kitchen scraps, such as coffee grounds, tea bags, vegetable and fruit scraps, and corn husks are also ideal for a healthy compost pile.

See also

• Composting
• Compost
• Container composting
• Worm bin