Producing your compost at home is a very fulfilling experience. Not only does it allow you to create nutrient rich fertilizer for use around the garden, it allows you to dispose of large volumes of waste in an eco-friendly manner, so you are doing your part for the environment whenever you start composting!
While you can compost plant matter and food waste in almost any container, the process takes a long time, leading to the development of products that are designed specifically to increase the rate of composting – compost bins and tumblers.
With one of these you can easily start making your own compost from brown and green materials like old leaves, grass clippings, and food scraps. The containers provide the perfect environment by being dark, moist, and very good at retaining heat.
This environment significantly increases the rate in which the waste breaks down and turns into nutrient rich compost that can be used throughout the garden. All you need to do is get the best compost bin or tumbler for your needs, add some waste and then wait for the results!
This simple garden compost bin is ideal for most gardens. Strong and durable, the bin is made from a stable plastic that is dark and has a good thickness, providing the appropriate insulation to keep the inside of the bin warm for composting.
With a 300L capacity the bin has more than enough space for most household and garden waste, with only the largest gardens possibly needing something bigger. Expect to get plenty of waste inside the container, which has lots of air vents to ensure proper ventilation.
The bin does require installation although this is quick and easy thanks to a simple click system. Just connect each component together and it will all click together, so you should have it built in a matter of minutes.
There is no base to the container but this is a good thing – it means worms and microbes can get inside to help break down the contents even quicker! Many buyers consider this to be one of the best large compost bins for the money.
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UPP Tumbling Composter
If you are serious about composting and have a lot of waste to deal with then this tumbler is the perfect solution. Featuring a dual chamber design, you can create two separate batches of composting, allowing for year-round access to nutrient rich fertiliser for the garden.
The container has lots of ventilation, with air ducts located throughout the tumbler to get even more oxygen into the composter. Combined with the rotating chamber function, you can effortlessly aerate the contents for fast and effective composting.
Each container holds up to 105L of waste and is made from a thick, dark plastic. This provides a dark and warm environment, that when combined with the aeration, is going to quickly break down your waste.
Better still, the plastic is made from 100% recycled materials and is UV and weather resistant! Expect it to last for many years to come and produce plenty of compost in that time.
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Blackwall 330 litre Green Compost Bin Converter
This compost bin from Blackwall has a massive 330L capacity, making it a great choice for people dealing with a lot garden and food waste. Made from a thick green plastic, the bin creates a warm and humid environment that will quickly break down old waste into rich fertiliser.
While there are not air vents throughout the container it does have an extra-large opening, so when you open it to move the waste around lots of air gets inside. When combined with the dark, warm, and moist environment, the waste will efficiently break down in no time at all.
Once your waste has broken down into nutrient rich fertiliser, you can easily access it through the wide hatch near the base of the bin, adding more waste to the top of the container to continue the process.
It’s also available in a smaller 200L capacity which is good for compact gardens or people making little waste.
Garden Grow Rotating Tumbling Composter
This single chamber tumbler composter is an excellent option for people with smaller gardens or not too much waste. As a rotating tumbler you will find that it breaks down organic matter faster than a stationary bin, providing improved airflow, while the thick black plastic offers ample insulation and darkness.
Even though it’s on the smaller side, the composter comes with two separate compartments, allowing for batches of compost to be made all year long. Once one of the containers is full, just add your waste into the second one to continuous composting!
Each one has an 80L capacity, which may not seem the largest but it’s more than enough for many, offering enough space to make a plenty of compost throughout the year with little effort. Just add waste to each container, turn regularly and wait for the results to show.
Blackwall 220L Composter Converter
Another great composter from Blackwall, this model is slightly smaller with a 220L capacity, making it better suited to gardens that lack space or enough waste. That said, this is still more than enough space for creating lots of fertiliser.
Made from a thick recycled plastic, the container is robust and stable. There is an optional base you can buy separately, which adds more stability but does limit access for microbes and worms that break down the waste even faster.
You add waste through the top of the bin and once it has broken down into fertiliser you can easily scoop it out from the bottom hatch. The lid fits snuggly on the bin to ensure the inside stays hot and humid, while it’s also windproof so won’t blow off on those windy days.
There are no holes on the bin so you will need to stir it manually, so make sure you have the endurance for such a task!
- Removable front hatch
- Produced with recycled plastic
- Push fit windproof lid
Compost Bin Vs Compost Tumbler
If you want to start making your own compost then you will need a compost bin or tumbler. Each one shares many similarities, such as providing the ideal environment for breaking down waste into compost, although there are some differences worth noting.
For example, a tumbler is rotatable to help efficiently combine the waste while aerating it at the same time, both of which help the waste decompose faster than in a bin. In a compost bin you need to turn the waste yourself with a fork or shovel, which can be quite strenuous.
On the other hand, bins tend to have a much larger capacity, allowing you to store more waste and produce higher volumes of compost. The bins tend to be more affordable too, so they are certainly well worth buying for many.
How to Choose the Best Compost Bin or Tumbler
Here are a few things to consider when looking for a composting container:
Material
Plastic is the best material for any type of composting. It’s the most effective at retaining heat, which is needed inside the container for composting, so always choose a plastic composter when possible.
Also, make sure to look at the thickness of the plastic as some cheaper products use thinner plastic that is very flimsy and likely to break over time.
Wooden composters are available, with the material also being great at heat retention. However, if selecting this type of material always ensure that the wood is rot-resistant, such as cedar, otherwise it’s going to start decomposing!
Air Vents
Look for a container with lots of air vents! Like heat retention, ventilation is a vital component for creating the environment required for composting, so make sure there are vents positioned throughout the container.
This is less of an issue with a tumbler, as the device is designed to be rotated to create a lot ventilation, so it doesn’t require as many vents as stationary bin does.
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Size and Capacity
Consider how much waste you plan on composting when looking for a suitable container. If you generate a lot of waste then look out for a bin with a large capacity so you have enough space. You don’t want to jam the container full of waste as some space needs to be left to allow for airflow.
Small containers are great for smaller batches of waste but they can sometimes dry out much faster than larger containers, with outside temperatures also influencing the composting process more than with large bins and tumblers.
Bear in mind that a large compost bin requires more effort to turn the organic matter! The more waste the heavier it becomes, so if you don’t have the strength to constantly turn large piles of waste then a tumbler may be the better option.
Also, think about the size of your garden! You want to make sure the composter isn’t too large, which is often an issue with smaller gardens.
Number of Chambers
If you are buying a tumbler you find many products have two storage chambers rather than just one. This allows you to create several batches of compost at one time, which is quite useful if you are dealing with a lot of waste as you can create a newer batch of compost with your more recent waste.
After all, even with a good composter the process is still quite long. In that time, you probably accumulate more waste that can’t be added to the current batch of composting material as it’s going to take too long to break down, so by having two containers in one tumbler you can create multiple batches throughout the year.
Last update on 2024-09-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
