 This method is the quickest way to build a compost bin in any backyard with minimal tools and money spent. It is super easy and fun. Now anyone can compost almost anywhere. No more will you have to throw food away; you will use it to make compost for your garden!
What you will need:
4 pallets, all the same size. There are a few sizes, so make sure they are the same.
A helper capable of lifting a pallet.
Rot proof twine or rope.
Wire mesh for a lid.
Nails (optional).
Everyone wants to compost, but no one likes having animals get in to their bins. Compost bins start around $75 but those are rarely big enough to really get a good thermophilic reaction going (a necessary reaction for breaking down organic matter). There are good small ones that rotate to help facilitate that reaction, but those can run $300 - $700. Sarah and I do not have that kind of money to spend, but we wanted a quick and easy solution for a suburban setting (we did not have that much space that was out of the way like a rural setting might have).This solution cost us $10.00, and that was only for the wire cover.
First, we went to a feed store and asked for some pallets. They were more than willing to give them away, however some places can’t give them away so you might have to ask around. In most places there is usually a store that gives the pallets back to the shipper to get them out of the way and off their hands--those stores should be very willing to let you have 4 or 5 for a compost bin (especially if you tell them that is what it is for).
Driving home with 4 pallets in a little Subaru was the most difficult part. We put the back seat down but could only fit three. We did not want to come to the store twice, so we strapped the fourth to the top. After securing it with rope and bungees we carefully made our way back to the house. Unloading was easy, and we only got a few splinters. When working with wood pallets one should wear gloves.
I decided to not nail it together so that when we moved out of the rental we could easily dismantle it. Rope seemed like the easiest solution. We had just put up a clothesline so we had some extra clothesline lying around. The hardest part would be getting it tight and relatively square.
Next, we chose a location that was out of the way and convenient to put the compost bin. Using a shovel and rake we made a small trench to set our first pallet in. I could have put a pallet under the whole bin to help it breath, but instead I used a bunch of small sticks I had to throw on the bottom.
I tied the side pallets using a square knot near the top and bottom of the pallet. I left the knots on the outside to make it easy to untie.
I needed to be able to get in the bin to turn the compost when it was finishing, so I wanted the front to pull down so the contents could be shoveled out. I tied the bottom with a loop as close to the bottom of the pallet as I could. I then tied the top.
It took a little finagling to get the pallet lined up, but with two people it made great fun. The day was hot for northwestern Washington and we enjoyed being in the sun. After we were done we piled the twigs on the bottom and all the plant matter we could scrounge from the property. We looked under everything to find a good foot of green matter to put in the bin. This started the process so we could put wet food scraps in the bin and be able to cover them so they did not smell.
We were worried about raccoons and opossums getting in, so I put a wire cover over the top. One end we nailed down and then bent the wire to stay over the edge. The edges where very sharp and cut me a few times (again, ALWAYS wear gloves). I wanted to have a way to close it and undo the top, so whoever was dumping the compost would not get cut.
I went with a bit of an elaborate solution to this, but it was free. I wrapped the edge with rope so that the sharp edges were covered. I then tied a monkey fist to the rope that was attached to the edge, add put a loop on the pallet. All anyone had to do to open it was slip the monkey fist through the loop.
In place of a monkey fist you can put a stick on the end of the rope. You only need a closure mechanism if you are worried about lots of animals getting in to it.
Last update: December 12, 2009
08:23 am
| Published in : Articles, Green Tech |
| Keywords : compost, bin, Constitution, cheap, low cost, easy, green, waist, waste, palate, rodent proof, rodent, |
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