Hubby and I had been talking about making a compost bin for a long time. We didn’t want to spend a lot of money on the bin but wanted something that was enclosed. I did a little research and found that you can easily make a compost bin out of a plastic trash can! We had an old trash can laying around so we spent zero out of pocket for our compost bin!
What you need:
Large plastic trash can
Drill with 1/2″ bit
Wood or cement blocks
We used the 1/2″ drill bit to make 4 holes in the top of the lid. We then continued to drill holes all along the sides of the trash can.
Compost needs air so make sure you have plenty of holes. We have 25 to 30 holes all around our trash can.
Don’t forget the bottom of the trash can! Once all of the holes are drilled, place the trash can upon blocks. This allows for airflow for the bottom of the bin. Use a bungee cord to secure the lid. To mix the compost we just roll the trash can around a few times.
We place the following in our compost bin:
- egg shells
- coffee grounds
- fruit and vegetable peels
- leaves
- grass clippings
You want more brown material than green to keep your compost active. That means more dead leaves than fresh vegetables etc. You also want the compost to be moist- not soaking wet but just moist.
Do you have a compost bin? What are your tips?
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Thank you so much for posting this simple compost bin! I have been after my husband to build me one for over two years now. Now this is something I can do myself!
I did this last weekend. I started off with just vegetable peelings that I had stored in coffee cans and then added dirt from old planters and some newspapers and things to cover the smell. Thanks for the bungee cord idea. I was wondering how to keep the lid on.
Can you update me and tell me how well this work for you guys last year and if you are still using it? Thanks!
Hi Tracey,
The compost bin worked well. We are still using it! I would say that smaller holes might be better. We did have some larger beetles getting into the bin. However, overall we have been pleased. Good luck!
I’m wondering if this design would work for composting with worms. What are your thoughts?