My old compost bin finally gave out after 8 years of use

Honestly, I was just turning my pile last weekend and the whole side of my plastic bin just cracked open. I've had that thing since I moved into my house back in 2016 and it's been through a lot of rain and snow. All that half broken down stuff spilled out onto the grass and I just stood there staring at it for a minute. I ended up scooping it all into a pile and covering it with a tarp for now. It's not pretty but at least the worms are still working in there. Anyone else had an old bin fall apart on them and find a good replacement that actually lasts?

2 comments

2 Comments

seanlee25d ago

Why would you even want a new bin to last that long? I've had my plastic bin for about three years now and honestly I'm already kind of hoping it falls apart soon so I can switch to something better. Those store bought bins are way too small for a decent sized garden anyway. You should just build a wood frame from some scrap lumber and hardware cloth, it'll cost you like $20 and you can make it as big as you want. Plus when the wood rots out in a few years you just toss it on the pile and build another one. Seems like you're going through all this trouble trying to find a "replacement that actually lasts" when the whole point of composting is things breaking down and changing over time.

blairtaylor25d ago

Has anyone here actually tried using a galvanized steel bin? I built one from a stock tank about 8 years ago and it's still going strong, no rust holes or anything. @seanlee, you make a fair point about things breaking down, but some of us just want something that doesn't need replacing every couple of years. I agree with you on the size issue though, those plastic bins are way too small for a serious gardener. If you're going to build your own, I'd suggest a metal frame with replaceable wooden slats on the sides, that way you get the durability without having to start from scratch when the wood rots.