How to Build a Compost Bin from a Trash Can

For many homeowners, especially those living on smaller parcels of land, the idea of having a large compost pile or bin may not be practical. Others may only do container gardening and need only small amounts of compost. Still others may be considering recycling kitchen scraps to reduce their contribution to municipal waste costs. A trash can compost bin is a cost effective and manageable solution for all of these situations.

Whether you have a traditional compost bin or open pile, two critical elements to rapid composting are water and air. A trash can composter helps in two ways. First, you can roll it around and the tumbling action makes it easy to “turn the pile” to introduce air and redistribute the composting material. Second, the enclosed environment of the trash can composter retains moisture and heat. The gardener just needs to add organic matter and give the composter a roll every so often.

Materials Needed

1. A round plastic trash can, 20 to 50 gallons, with a tight fitting lid. When selecting a can consider both how the lid will be held in place when the can is rolled around on its side and also how the design of the handles might impede your ability to roll the can.
2. An electric drill with 1/2″ drill bit.

Making Your Trash Can Composter

1. Using the electric drill and bit, drill holes all around the can at 6″ intervals. These holes will allow for the circulation of air to facilitate the composting process.
2. Drill four to eight holes in the bottom of the can to allow excess moisture to drain. Compost should be moist but not wet. The occasional soaking rain is fine so long as the excess moisture has a way to drain.
3. Optional – drill a few holes in the top to allow some rain to seep into the compost to help keep it moist.

Using Your Trash Can Composter

1. Place the composter in a location that is convenient for your intended use.
2. If you want to, you can place the composter on bricks or wooden slats to slightly elevate it to help it to drain. You can also place the composter directly onto a planting bed or other well draining location. Do not place the composter on an impermeable surface such as concrete or blacktop.
3. Chop plant debris into small pieces and place them inside the garbage can. Ideally, you should use 50 percent green material and 50 percent dry, but you can use shredded newspaper or cardboard for the dry material if necessary. You don’t need to fill the can all at one time – just put in the plant material you have on hand.
4. Spray water over the chopped plant material inside the can, until the material is damp, like a wrung-out sponge, but not soggy, and place the lid on the can.
5. Over time, continue adding compost in a 50/50 mixture of green and brown until the can is about half full. Once the composter is half full stop adding materials to allow the exisiting materials to break down.
6. Once a week lay the can on its side and roll it around to mix the plant material inside.
7. Keep the compost moist. If you are adding a lot of green material or if your composter is located where it gets a lot of rain you won’t need to add moisture.
8. Harvest your compost after 8 weeks or so.

If you are like me you will soon get into the habit of hauling your organic kitchen waste out to your new compost bin. You will also soon discover that your new bin is already half full. I recommend that you make yourself a second bin so that you can continue composting in one bin while the other bin matures.

Below is a short video from P. Allen Smith demonstrating how to build a trash can composter.