Composting food scraps and kitchen scraps is becoming increasingly popular, and even compulsory in some locales, but doing it at home can seem complicated.
With the many types of composting bins and their various pros and cons, it’s easy to see why.
To make it easier for you to stop putting your food scraps in landfills and start putting in to work, I’ve researched every type of compost bin out there.
Here’s what I found.
What Is Composting?
Composting is the process of breaking down and recycling organic matter by mixing it in a composter, and usually aerating it and heating it. The process, once finished, results in a nutrient-rich fertilizer known as “compost,” which can be used in gardens, crop fields, and similar areas, to add phosphorus and other nutrients to the soil. Though this occurs in nature, compost bins speed up the process, though some finished compost needs up to a year before it can be used, depending on the type of compost bin you’re using.
Finished compost can be put to these various uses:
- As a mulch alternative
- To encourage flower and plant growth
- To improve lawn and soil quality
- To expand the bloom life of spring bulbs and perennials
Advantages
Compost is an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fertilizers, which degrade soil quality over time. Chemical fertilizer depletes nutrients in the soil by making it dependent on the chemicals instead of encouraging growth of organic materials. Over time, the fields require more and more chemicals just to get by. These chemicals are subsequently washed away and into water sources, where, according to Nature.org, they “trigger algae blooms that choke off oxygen in water and make it difficult, if not impossible, for marine life to survive.”
Composting also cuts down on greenhouse gases, particularly methane emissions. Adding kitchen and garden waste to a compost bin instead of throwing it out prevents it from going to a landfill, where organic matter decomposes without oxygen, creating the biogas methane. That biogas, which traps more heat in the environment than carbon dioxide, fuels climate change.
Using compost as a soil amendment also conserves water. Soil that’s been mixed with compost retains more water and needs less watering during the year. With just a 1% increase in organic material, for instance, an acre of soil needs 20,000 fewer gallons of water per year.
Disadvantages
Despite the environmental benefits of composting, it also comes with negatives:
- Compost sometimes emits an unpleasant smell as the waste breaks down, unless the compost bin is specifically designed to prevent this.
- A compost pile needs regular mixing and aeration.
- The quality of the compost depends on what organic waste is added.
- Most methods require a bit of space, which may make composting difficult for people in small homes or apartments.
- Compost piles may attract pests and bugs
Compostable Materials
At its simplest, any organic materials can be considered compostable, but many of them are better for your compost pile than others, and some materials should not be added depending on the type of bin. For example, citruses and vegetables from the onion family should be excluded from a worm bin, because they could harm your red wiggler worms.
What to compost
Collecting items in your kitchen to compost is as easy as putting it in one bin instead of another. You can also use compost bags to keep your kitchen waste tidy until you’re ready to add it to your composter. Some kitchen waste is better suited to composting than others. The following compostable items help produce rich compost that’s free from disease and pests, and also contain essential nutrients for soil:
- Cardboard, uncoated and cut up into small pieces
- Hair and fur
- Shredded newspapers
- Yard waste
- Dead leaves
- Grass clippings
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Eggshells
- Sawdust
- Tea bags
- Wood chips
- Food scraps
- Kitchen scraps and kitchen waste
Be sure that you add these materials in small pieces to encourage quicker decomposition. For example, instead of tossing a whole, unpeeled onion in your bin, peel the onion and chop it first.
What not to compost
Though kitchen and yard waste, vegetable scraps, and myriad other organic and raw materials can be used to create compost, not all organic materials can. Adding waste such as meat, fat, and dairy to composting bins can attract pests and wild animals. Regardless of how secure the bins you use are, animals could try to damage them, and bugs can get in easily through ventilation holes, and then reproduce. The hassle of dealing with that isn’t worth the hassle.
You should also avoid composting diseased garden waste and clippings, as well as those riddled with insects, as they’ll pass on the diseases and pests to your compost. Once the finished compost is spread across a garden or field, the disease and pests will spread.
Then there’s pet waste and litter. Despite the high nutrient content in feces, it’s also full of parasites and other disease organisms. These diseases, should they make their way through the composting process and spread across fields, can seep into crops and eventually affect humans.
In addition to these items, several other materials should be excluded from your composter:
- Plastic
- Glossy paper
- Black walnut tree leaves
- Acidic fruits and vegetables
- Rice
- Bread
What Are Compost Bins?
All this talk about composting may have you asking, “What’s a compost bin?” Compost bins, also known as composters or a composting bin, are containers used to stimulate and encourage decomposition. They’re designed to produce compost faster than nature. By combining kitchen scraps, food waste, and other materials, a composter will gradually break down the kitchen waste until it becomes compost for your garden.
Though the same process takes place in nature over time, a compost bin will create the ideal environment to speed up this process and create a nutrient-rich fertilizer.
Composting bins can be store-bought, or you could make a DIY compost bin using wood pallets or other materials to create an indoor or outdoor compost bin:
- Cinder blocks
- Stone
- Lumber
- Recycled plastic
- Ceramic
- Wire fencing
How compost bins work
A compost bin works by simulating an environment where the composting process can occur faster than in nature, through “aerobic decomposition.” The term refers to microorganisms that need oxygen to thrive breaking down the organic materials and turning it into compost. To promote their growth, a compost bin needs to be warm and contain a mix of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, which can be achieved with the right mix of materials and aerating—mixing the compost—regularly.
Alternatively, some composters use “anaerobic composting,” which doesn’t need any oxygen for the process to take place. Instead, it focuses on encouraging fermentation and letting organisms like bacteria thrive and break down the organic materials.
A compost bin is designed specifically to encourage one of these processes to take place.
Types of Compost Bins
Once you’ve decided to start composting, it’s time to choose a composter. As simple as that sounds, choosing the best compost bin can be a little tricky, given the broad range of models. Which type of composter is best for you depends on such factors as your available space and the volume of your organic materials.
Stationary composters
Stationary bins are the most standard composter that most people may be familiar with and are one of the easiest to use. With a stationary bin, you add waste through an opening in the top or side of the bin, which then locks into place to prevent pests, fruit flies, and wildlife getting into the compost. Finished compost is removed from the bottom of the bin through a small door. The process can take several months, as these bins typically don’t have proper ventilation.
Since reaching inside the self-contained units to mix the compost and help with air circulation is difficult, the process can be slower than with other composters. They can be an effective composter for anyone who doesn’t want to put much effort into the process, though, and can be used as indoor composters.
Compost tumblers
A compost tumbler, also known as a tumbling composter or batch composter, is designed to make turning and aerating your compost as easy as possible. Tumbling composters have a rotating drum that can either be spun by hand or with a crank handle. Compost tumblers have several compartments that can be filled and closed off as each batch is allowed to mature before being emptied, allowing them to function as continuous composters.
Worm composters
Also known as worm bins, these composters encourage a process called vermicomposting, or vermiculture, that uses worms to break down organic matter. In a worm composter, the worms eat the materials and digest them, and the resulting worm poop comprises a nutrient-rich compost. Worm bins don’t need as much involvement as others, as the worms do most of the work, and owners shouldn’t need to aerate a worm composter as much as an alternative, but they do need holes that are big enough for the worms to get air but small enough for them not to escape. One extra benefit of a worm bin is the liquid that collects in the bottom bin, known as “compost tea,” can also be applied to your garden and houseplants.
In-ground worm composters
An in-ground worm compost bin works similarly to a regular worm bin, but it is placed in the ground, as the name suggests. This placement allows the nutrients to seep into the soil more effectively and removes the need to empty the bin, so this system requires much less maintenance. With very few supplies you can make your own in-ground worm composter in an afternoon.
Food waste digesters
A food waste digester is designed for someone who might not be interested in composting but wants to reduce the amount of food waste they throw away. This is because food waste digesters don’t produce compost, but rather a liquid material known as “leachate.”
Food waste digesters have a lower basket that’s buried below ground level and a cone-shaped bucket placed at ground level. The lower bucket stores the food waste, while the top bucket concentrates the sun’s rays on the food. The bucket has openings for organisms to pass through and digest the waste. You won’t need to worry about emptying these because the organisms take care of the food waste while the rest is absorbed by the soil.
Many food waste digesters on the market are industrial-sized models for use by restaurants or factories, but smaller ones are available, or you could make your own DIY food waste digester for backyard use.
Countertop food waste processors
Also called countertop compost bins, these food waste processors are a kitchen compost bin that transforms kitchen scraps into usable compost. Used as indoor composters, these aren’t affected by as many issues as an outside composter, such as pests and cold weather.
One of the best things about countertop processors is their speed. An electric composter, it grinds and dehydrates the waste, with some brands claiming to produce compost in as little as three hours.
These smaller bins are suitable for apartments and small families that don’t generate a lot of waste.
Things To Consider When Choosing Your Compost Bin
The best compost bins can be difficult to choose, given the various models available. Picking a versatile compost bin that suits your needs involves focusing on various factors, such as whether you want to compost indoors or outdoors.
The best compost bins tick multiple boxes, each of which vary depending on personal preferences and needs across several areas.
Size
Larger bins will naturally need more indoor or outdoor space to function effectively. Some options—such as countertop processors—are relatively small, while tumbling bins and stationary bins can take up a lot of space. Knowing how large of an area you have to compost with is critical to your decision.
Speed
Some composting bins decompose faster than others, so you should consider this when choosing your bin. Stationary composters often take the longest, because the materials just sit there waiting for you to mix them. Worm bins, on the other hand, work relatively quickly, because the worms are constantly breaking down matter. And countertop food waste processors can work as quickly as a few hours!
With a standard compost bin, several other factors could affect the duration of decomposition, such as moisture levels and heat, but the type of bin you choose plays the largest role.
Pests
Though most compost bins offer a certain amount of protection against pests and bugs during decomposition, some do this more effectively than others. Compost tumblers will completely keep out most pests except small insects (because of ventilation holes), while an in-ground worm bin offers noticeably less protection against this.
Price
The average composter costs between $100 and $500, but you can save loads by making your own. Keep in mind that a homemade compost bin may not be as pest-proof as a store-bought model.
Construction material
The material the compost bin is made from makes a significant difference in how it functions, with most options being made from either plastic or wood. Though plastic compost bins are less environmentally friendly, plastic does heat faster in the sun, which speeds up the decomposition process. Wood, while being great if it’s recycled, also needs to be treated so it doesn’t rot during the process. If you decide to use wooden pallets to make your own, be sure the wood isn’t treated with chemicals that could contaminate your compost.
Ventilation
Oxygen and adequate air flow are necessary for most forms of composting to take place, so you’ll need to make sure there are enough air vents in the compost bin to do its job properly. Worm bins need air holes for the worms to breathe, but other bins need ventilation for aerobic decomposition to take place. Because an electric composter processes organic matter electronically, ventilation is not a necessary consideration for these models.
Wrapping Up
Getting or building a compost bin has never been more popular, but the various types of compost bins can make it difficult to choose the right composter. Each helps your garden in various ways, but you must first ask yourself a few questions—Do you want to compost inside or outside?—to guide your choice.
The wrong composter for your lifestyle can make composting a chore. But if you choose the right composter, reducing your household waste, creating compost, and helping to save the planet will be a breeze.