Best Type of Compost Bin for All Your Eco-Friendly Needs

Types of Compost Bins

You could use different compost bins to dispose of your food and yard waste, and the best type for you should be able to accommodate your preferences and lifestyle. Therefore, to find the one that caters to your needs, you must know all the available ones. They include:

1. Stationary Bin

A stationary bin is the best compost bin for people looking to dispose of food scraps and garden waste in one location. They are tall self-contained units with enough space for the waste produced by an average household.

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Stationary bins are popular with composting beginners as they need minimum effort so long as you ensure you don’t let the compost pile get too moist and achieve a proper balance of green and brown materials.

We recommend this type for anyone looking for a central place to toss their yard waste, kitchen scraps, and other compostable organic materials. Also, they don’t take up too much space, making them suitable for small yards or in the suburbs.

2. Tumbling/Rotating Bin

A tumbling or a rotating compost bin is a standalone unit with one or more chambers where, when you insert your food and yard waste; you can rotate the chambers by turning your handle. The composting process allows oxygen to get evenly distributed throughout your pile, which helps speed up the decomposition process.

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Using a tumbling composter to make compost has a lot of advantages. It protects your scrap pile, keeping rats away and preventing excessive moisture from the environment from getting to it. It also requires less energy to turn the crank twice a week than regularly turning a compost pile using a shovel or pitchfork.

We recommend it for people with plenty of outdoor space to accommodate a large compost bin and who plan on disposing of both kitchen and garden waste.

3. In-ground Composters

Some people don’t like having an exposed bin for aesthetic reasons or because they want an odor-free environment. If this is you, an in-ground composter is the best compost bin for your needs.

These compost bins come with lids and holes drilled on the sides, which are buried partly into the ground. The holes are necessary since they allow worms to enter the bin. We recommend in-ground composters for people who want to produce rich compost with the assistance of worms and are willing to dig a hole in their property.

4. Worm Compost Bin

Worm bins are designed to host worms, making them an important component of vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is a composting method where worms are added to a pile of organic materials.

The worms eat the scraps, speed up the composting process, and create healthy compost for your garden. The main feature of worm bins is they have a well-distributed and consistent flow of oxygen. This is important since if your worms don’t breathe and get cold, they will die quickly.

We recommend a worm bin for gardeners who want to create rich compost for their plants and don’t mind handling worms.

5. Food Waste Digesters

Food waste digesters are different from other compost bins on this list; the main difference is that they don’t produce compost. Instead, most digesters are designed to prevent organic waste, such as coffee grinds, eggshells, and vegetable peelings, from ending up in landfills.

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Since they don’t require gardens, they are perfect for people who just wish to dispose of their food in an eco-friendly way. In addition, we recommend this type for anyone looking for a convenient way to dispose of food waste and who doesn’t want to use their own compost as fertilizer.

6. Electric Countertop Composters

An electric compost bin can break down everything from meat scraps to coffee grounds. It is a great option for people who would like to technically compost but in an apartment. It successfully composts by breaking down food scraps with aerobic decomposition, helped by heat, oxygen, and abrasion.

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Countertop compost bins are an efficient, quiet, and low-maintenance option. The versatile compost bin can break down your kitchen and yard waste in less than 24 hours and with no odor. We recommend it for people who don’t have a lot of organic waste and are looking for a low-stress, simple, yet odor-free composting solution.

Factors to Consider Before Buying the Best Compost Bins

1. Indoors or Outdoor Use

Not all compost bins are suitable for both indoor and outdoor composting, and hence why this is a factor you should consider. For example, if you have limited outdoor space and you intend to compost indoors, you will need to avoid the types of compost bins such as large food waste digesters or tumbling composters. Instead, opt for indoor compost bins which can fit beside your garbage can or on your kitchen countertop.

However, if you plan on composting outdoors and have the space to do it, you will have plenty of options. For example, you can choose between stationary bins, tumbling bins, in-ground bins, or the vermicomposting bin with multiple layers. Also, if you want to do cold composting, you can make your own outdoor compost bin from wood pallets.

2. What Are You Composting?

What you plan to compost will significantly influence the best compost bin for you. However, most compost bins will suit your needs if you plan on composting an equal amount of brown and green materials, whether garden waste or food scraps.

However, not all compost bins that can handle all your organic waste, like meat scraps or bones, should not be added to most composters as they can start rotting, smelling, or attracting rodents.

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3. How Much Organic Waste Do You Have?

Another problem you should avoid is getting a bin that is either too big or too small. Tumblers and most indoor composters are examples of bins with a somewhat limited capacity. Single individuals, couples, and even small families can use this capacity without problems. However, they may not always be appropriate for large families who have a lot of food and yard trash to dispose of.

Consider using several stationary bins, a sizable food waste digester, or a tumbler with dual chambers if you need a composting bin to accommodate a large family. Alternatively, you might choose to cold compost outside, enabling you to eliminate a lot of organic waste even though the decomposition process can be quite slow.

4. What Do You Need the Compost for?

Do you plan on nourishing your garden and plants with the compost you produce? Or are you merely trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle and reduce food waste? Most composting bins can be used to create compost that will be used as fertilizer, like the worm composters, tumbling composters, and indoor composters.

Several bins are available for those who don’t have a garden but simply want to limit the amount of food they throw away. A food waste digester is an excellent option because it will function more like a disposal unit than a regular composter. Naturally, if you want to make compost that can be used in your garden, you shouldn’t buy a food waste digester.

5. The Effort It Needs

You should try avoiding a compost bin that requires more effort than you would like to put in and opt for a simple, straightforward, low-maintenance compost bin. Opt for a food waste digester or an electric composter if that is your preference.

If you want to dirty your hands, you might prefer an in-ground bin or worm composter. However, If you’re willing to go outside every few days to turn your compost with a shovel or pitchfork, you could choose cold compost.

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6. Odor Control

Some compost bins elicit more odor than others, so it would be better to choose an odor-free composting bin if the odor gets to you. These bins usually feature a tight seal and still break down waste effectively with no extra steps.

Nevertheless, with most compost bins, a slight odor is somehow inevitable. Still, luckily, it’s not that hard to prevent and reduce odors whether you are using a stationary bin or a tumbling composter. Avoid your compost pile getting too wet, don’t add human or pet waste, and try balancing brown and green materials.

7. How Fast Do You Want Your Compost?

How long does composting take? The answer is based on the kind of container and composting technique you use. Whether you compost indoors or outdoors, using an aerobic or anaerobic technique will affect how long the process takes.

For instance, cold composting can take anything from six months to a year, especially if you don’t turn it often. On the other hand, an electric composter can decompose your kitchen waste in less than a day. Ensure the bin you choose is appropriate for your need for efficiency.

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