Gardening Landscaping Composting

How Compost Bins Work and How to Use Them

Learn how to choose the right compost bin for you and getting compost started

If you are planning to start composting, it’s a good idea to invest in a compost bin. Unlike an open compost pile or heap, a compost bin speeds up the decomposition of organic matter through proper aeration and moisture retention, so the nutrient-rich compost is ready for use in your garden earlier.

Because the compost is contained in a bin, it’s also a neater and cleaner way to compost. If you're hoping to learn more about the different types of compost bins and find the one that works best for you, plus composting basics and other useful tips, keep reading.

Below, learn how to choose a compost bin and how to get started.

tumbler compost bin

The Spruce / David Beaulieu

What Is a Compost Bin?

A compost bin is a container that holds organic waste that ultimately turns into compost. Compost bins come in numerous types and sizes, from simple DIY backyard compost barrels to high-tech indoor countertop composters controlled by an app.

What they all have in common is that they are enclosed to keep odors, insects, and rodents out, and with the proper combination of air and moisture, they provide ideal conditions for the activity of aerobic organisms that eventually transform organic materials into compost.

Benefits of Composting

Composting suitable organic materials cuts down on the amount of biowaste that ends up in landfills. This can cut down the carbon dioxide greenhouse emissions by 50%. In addition to reducing your carbon footprint, composting also provides you with a highly valuable soil amendment for houseplants, gardens, and yards.

Even if you don’t have an outdoor space, your compost is welcome "black gold" for your local community garden.

Active Versus Passive Composting

In active composting, the organic material is periodically turned to increase the flow of oxygen and add moisture. This is either done manually, such as with a pitchfork, or by using a tumbling composter or another mechanical system that adds air to the compost. Passive composting is an effortless, hands-off method where the compost isn’t turned so it takes much longer to produce compost.

How to Choose a Compost Bin

With so many different compost bins on the market, this checklist helps you select the compost bin that works best for you: 

  • Indoor or outdoor compost bin: Do you have a good location and enough space for an outdoor compost bin? If not, consider getting an indoor composter. 
  • Size: How much organic waste do you have regularly? Count in only suitable materials (produce scraps, eggshells, garden waste). Also keep in mind that if you choose a simple non-tumbling compost bin, it needs to be large enough for you to access it and turn the compost.
  • Time: How long are you ready to wait until the compost is ready? If you want the compost faster, or if you don’t have the space to let the compost mature slowly over many months, use a compost bin that speeds up the process by active composting, or one with several chambers so you only take a small batch of compost as soon as it’s ready. 

Types of Compost Bins

Based on the criteria above, here are five basic types of compost bins to consider: 

  • DIY composters are made inexpensively of many different materials, including repurposing a trash can or plastic storage container. 
  • Commercially made compost barrels are made of thick black plastic to increase the compost temperature. They have slits for air ventilation and doors for compost removal. Some models have compartments. Because turning the compost in these barrels is cumbersome, they are best for passive composting. 
  • Tumbling composters turn the compost, either manually or mechanically. Many models have two chambers that let you add organic material to one chamber while the compost in the other chamber matures. 
  • Indoor composters tend to be the most sophisticated type of compost bins. They are made for kitchen waste only and usually fit on a countertop. These gadgets produce compost within a fraction of the time that it takes traditional compost to mature.
compost bin made from plastic buckets
Compost bin made from plastic buckets The Spruce / Candace Madonna

Anaerobic vs. Aerobic Composting Systems

There are two types of composting systems: aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic composting is the most common form of composting because it is easy and straightforward. Anaerobic composting is more complex and trickier to control but yields faster results.

Aerobic

Aerobic composting systems provides the living conditions for organism that need oxygen to break down organic materials. Part of a well-designed aerobic design is making sure that your compost bin "breathes." This requires applying the correct mix of organic materials, the right amount of water, and turning it often to avoid compaction and keep oxygen flowing freely.

Anaerobic

Anaerobic composting systems work with organisms such as bacteria that live in the absence of atmospheric oxygen. For the system to work properly, it needs to be completely sealed off so no air gets inside. Bokashi composting is an anaerobic composting system that uses fermentation to break down materials.

How to Compost

After you have procured a compost bin and found a suitable location for it in your backyard, you are ready to start composting right away. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the dos and don’ts of what to add to a compost bin and add the proper balance of green and brown materials.

Some materials, such as newspaper or leaves, should be shredded beforehand, or else they will block the oxygen flow in the compost bin. If the compost pile is wet, add water as needed.

If you don’t have a compost bin that does the turning for you, turn it every two to four weeks to shuffle the materials. Aside from that, you simply wait for the compost to be ready.

What Items to Compost

There is a clear line between what you should and should not compost to ensure proper decomposition and avoid attracting rodents, insects, and wildlife. In addition, it is key to keep the proper balance between brown (dry or woody) and green (moist and somewhat fresh) materials to your compost. 

Here’s what you can compost:

  • Fruit and vegetable peels and eggshells
  • Brown paper products (unwaxed cardboard, newspaper, paper towels, coffee filters)
  • Houseplants and yard waste (free from disease/pesticides)
  • Coffee grounds
  • Hair and fur
  • Nutshells
  • Wood shavings/sawdust (thin layers only, only otherwise it will compact and block air)

Never compost any animal and seafood, dairy (including fats such as oil, butter, and grease), leftovers from meals and other prepared foods, plants treated with pesticides as well as diseased plants, pet and human waste, and any manmade materials that are not fully biodegradable (no foam, plastic, glass, metal, etc.).

extensive shrubbery around a compost bin
The Spruce / Kara Riley

How Long Until The Compost is Ready

If you are using a small compost bin or a larger one with different chambers, and the weather is warm or hot, the compost can be ready in as little as two months.

If you practice passive composting—the lengthiest form—it takes about a year for compost to mature. The clock starts when you add the last organic materials to a compost bin.

Another variable is the time it takes for different organic materials to decompose. An apple core or a banana peel decomposes in a little over a month whereas it takes six months for an orange peel. Fibrous, woody yard waste such as plant stems may take even longer.

Mature compost is ready to use to amend soil, add to potted plants, as a fertilizer, or for mulching.

Tip

Ready compost has a dark brown or almost black color, like rich soil, a clean, earthy smell, and a crumbly texture. The original organic matter has fully decomposed and is no longer recognizable.

Compost Bin Maintenance

If you follow the proper composting protocol and all goes well with the decomposition, there is no need to empty the compost bin for cleaning before the compost is ready.

After you have removed the mature compost, clean it with dish soap and cold water. Remove any pesky buildup on the inside walls with a brush. Flip the bin over afterwards and let it dry completely before starting to refill it.

Regularly check the lid to make sure it seals properly. Also inspect the bin for other signs of damage such as cracks or holes. Rats are able to chew through plastic and even go after commercial compost bins.

keeping the compost bin lid tightly shut helps prevent rat break-ins
The Spruce / Kara Riley

How to Keep Pests Away from Your Compost Bin

In addition to keeping unsuitable materials such as food scraps out of the compost bin, making sure it is always closed is key to keep pests out.

  • To deter rats, always keep the surroundings neat and clean. Do not put storage boxes nearby and don’t leave any garbage out, unless it is in a securely sealed trash bin.
  • Clean up after your dog and cat and don’t leave and dog, cat, or bird food out.
  • Avoid piling up brush and other yard waste and try to move lumber piles farther away.
  • Thick, dense vegetation such as shrubs, tall ornamental grasses, vines, and groundcovers provide shelter for rodents; keep them well-trimmed.
  • To deter insects, it helps to add a 1-inch layer of wood chips, sawdust, shredded cardboard, or straw on top of the materials in the bin.
Originally written by
David Beaulieu
David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience.

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  1. Composting. Project Drawdown.