If you are interested in recycling your household waste, but only have a small yard (or porch) do not despair: there are compost bin models out there that will work well for you.

Small compost bin models are perfect for those who wish to compost household organic waste and do not have much yard waste that they need to compost. Most of these compost bin models rely on the hot composting method, which means your compost will be finished in just a matter of weeks. 

Many of these models can also be used to make compost tea, which you can use to nourish a wide variety of plants, including houseplants.

Here is a nice selection of some of the best selling small compost bin models currently available:

Envirocycle Composter

At just 30 inches high and two feet wide, this compost bin will fit almost anywhere.  You can put it on a balcony, in a garage or your yard or garden.  It is a tumbler compost bin, meaning that you can spin the compost bin, which helps with assuring your composting process is quick and complete.  This model was build specifically to handle kitchen waste and small amounts of yard waste.  It also costs under $150, making it one of the most popular compost bin models on the market.

The Back Porch Compost Tumbler

This compost bin is only 37 inches high, and has wheels making it very portable.  Yet is also can hold up to 37 gallons of compost material.  Another tumbler compost bin model, the Back Porch ComposTumbler is very well aerated to help with the composting process, but also screened well to keep small animals out.  It comes with a five year warranty, and costs just under $200 if you buy it from Amazon.com.

The ECOmposter

Now this is an interesting looking compost bin.  The manufacturers claim that they spent five years research compost bins to come up with the design for this model.  The ECOmposter is made of recycled plastic, and will produce compost in as little as four weeks.  It is 32 inches high and wide, and costs about $250 (this compost bin is only available in the United States, unfortunately).

For more information about garden compost bin models, including five reasons you should consider using a tumbler compost bin, please return to the Composting Bin Home Page.

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Creating rich compost quickly and rapidly is a goal of many gardeners and home owners.  In order to do this, you will need to turn your compost pile frequently, even daily.  But this can be a hassle if you are turning a large compost pile in your backyard, and for this reason, you may want to consider investing in a tumbling compost bin.

Most tumbling compost bin designs have a crank handle that allows you to turn the compost quickly and easily.  You will be able to turn your compost daily, and with some models you will be able to have rich compost for your garden in a matter of weeks (instead of months or years, as with ordinary methods).

Below you will find some of the top tumbling compost bin models you can purchase.  All of these models have received positive customer reviews:

The Achla Spinning Composting Bin

The Acha Spinning (or Tumbling) Compost Bin is both affordable and easy to use for home owners.  It is priced under $200 and made entirely from recycled plastic.  It does have a fairly small capacity compared to some models, however, only about seven cubic feet.

The Mantis Tumbling Compost Bin

If you are looking for a larger model and have the cash (around $500) this may well be the best tumbling compost bin on the market.  It can hold up to 30 bushels of organic materials, yet still remains easy to turn and use!

The Tumbleweed Composter

This model is the most affordable of the three tumbling composting bins featured here, costing under $180 and with slightly more capacity than the Acha spinning composting model.  Some may find the vertical model not as easy to use as a horizontal model, however, so you should keep this in mind when shopping for the tumbling compost bin that is right for you.

Regardless of what kind of composting bin you ultimately end up purchasing, by making the decision to recycle your organic household waste and turn it into rich garden compost, you have made a choice that will benefit both your garden and our environment!

For more information about composting bins, please return to the Compost Bin Home Page. 

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If you are thinking about purchasing a garden compost bin, it is likely you may be overwhelmed and confused by the wide variety of makes and models currently on the market.  There are a wide variety of different kinds of garden compost bins you can choose from.  For example, there is the popular tumbling compost bin models, beautiful wooden compost bins, recycled plastic compost bins, worm compost bins, or compost bins you can build yourself out of wire fencing or used wood pallets.

One of the first decisions you need to make when choosing a garden composting bin model that is right for you is deciding what size will best suit your needs.  And this will depend on what kinds and amounts of materials you will be composting.  If you are only planning to compost kitchen scraps, a small worm bin may work well for you.  But if you have a considerable amount of yard waste that you also want to compost, you will need a much larger garden compost bin model.

The second decision will be whether you will be “hot” composting or “cold” composting.  Hot composting requires a bigger pile and you will need to ensure the right combination of brown and green matter in your composting bin.  And you will also need to turn and mix the pile often.  For hot composting you may want to seriously consider a tumbling compost bin model which will allow you to turn you compost quickly and easily using a hand crank. With hot composting and a tumbling compost bin you can have finished compost in a matter of just weeks.

The cold composting process, on the other hand, can take six months to a year to create compost.  But it is also a much less labor intensive method of compost making.  You will probably need a larger garden compost bin if you choose the cold method, however, since it will take much longer for the compost to break down.

This raises yet another issue: will you need one bin or multiple bins to handle your composting needs?  If you have a small yard, rarely have more than one container of yard waste to dispose of, and choose to leave your lawn clipping on the lawn than a single compost bin may serve your needs.  however if you have a medium to large sized yard, want to compost grass clippings, have several trees that drop leaves in the fall, a large vegetable garden or flower beds, and want to make as much compost as you can for use in your garden, then you should certainly consider investing in a garden compost bin systems that is expandable or comes with two or more bins to start.

Regardless of the garden compost bin system you select, be sure that the bins are well aerated and easy to turn (especially if using hot composting methods).  For even more tips about garden compost bin, or to see a selection of some of the top examples of the easy to turn rotating compost bin, please visit the Composting Bin Home Page.

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There are many different composting bin types on the market, but one of the most popular ones to emerge in recent years is the tumbler compost bin.  But what exactly are the advantages of using a tumbling compost bin to make compost?

Here are five excellent reasons to consider purchasing a tumbler compost bin:

1) With a tumbler compost bin it is very easy to turn your compost. If you want to make compost quickly, a tumbler compost bin is definitely the model for you.  Most tumbler compost bin models come with a hand crank that makes the turning of the compost bin an ease.  You will be able to turn your compost daily and using hot composting methods, a tumbler compost bin can produced finished compost in as little as six weeks.  Some tumbler compost models can produce between 500-900 pounds of compost annually!

2) A tumbler compost bin keeps your compost pile out of site. This may be of particular concern for those living in area with strict guidelines regarding yard waste.  But a tumbler compost bin will also be well suited for anyone wanting a clean and neat looking garden, and not have their compost piles out in the open.

3) A tumbler compost bin keeps rodents and other pests out of your compost pile. Because a tumbler compost bin contains your yard waste inside a drum (or similar type of container), you will be able to keep rats, dogs, raccoons or whatever compost pests you are faced with out of your compost pile.

4) Compost in a tumbler compost bin will decompose evenly and quickly.  This is another advantage of turning your compost frequently.  You will no longer find patches of yet to be decomposed organic materials in your composting pile when digging it out for garden use.

5) Making sure your compost is organic is easier with a tumbler compost bin. When using a tumbler compost bin to contain your composting materials, you will not have to worry about accidental exposure to sprays or other lawn chemicals that your neighbors may be using on their yards.

A tumbler compost bin has many advantages for the home gardener, although it may not be for everyone.  If you are interested in seeing some of the top models currently for sale, read  “Top Tumbling Compost Bin Selections.”  For more information about different garden compost bin types, including information on how to build your own compost bin at home, please return to the Composting Bin Home Page.

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If you are establishing a compost pile or using a composting bin for the first time, you are likely to have questions about what can and cannot be put into your compost heap.

One of the fundamentals of having a good compost pile is creating a balanced mixture between “brown” and “green” organic matter.  Brown materials are items such as dead leaves, straw, dried grass, while green materials involve items such as green (undead) yard waste and most kitchen scraps.

Besides creating a balanced compost pile, you also need to know what can and cannot be composted properly.  Here are lists of items you can put in a composting pile or bin, items you should not put in a compost pile, and those that you should use with caution in a compost bin or pile.

What Can be Put into a Composting Bin or Compost Heap

Most yard waste (grass clippings, leaves), vegetables, and fruits, coffee grounds, tea bags, corn cobs, and egg shells.  You can also put in cardboard or paper, sawdust and hay and even clothing made from organic materials like cotton or wool.

What You Should NOT Put in your Composting Bin or Pile

Avoid adding dairy items, meat and eggs.  Animal and human feces.  Weeds with loads of seeds in them (especially if you will be using the compost later on in your garden), or noxious in nature.  Also do not use compost heaps to dispose of used oil or overly oily food products.

What Items to Use Sparingly or with Caution

Citrus fruits, wood ashes, evergreen needles.

If you have the right balance of materials in your compost heap (brown and green) and the proper materials to compost (see the lists above) you will be well on your way to creating beautiful, rich compost for your garden.

For more information about how to make compost quickly and efficiently using methods such as using a tumbler composting bins, please return to The Composting Bin homepage.

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If you are interested in a composting bin system for your home, you can either purchase a manufactured bin or create one yourself.  Below you will find some important resources for selecting which composting bin type will work best for you and your family.

Build Your Own Composting Bin Information

How to Build a Composting Bin – Excellent instructions from the University of Missouri on how to build three different types of composting bins.

Worm Composting Bin Plans - Another public service site in Washington state offers information on a variety of different composting bins plans.

Ready-Made (Manufactured) Composting Bins

Here is a selection of some of the most popular and best working composting bins currently on the market:

Bosmere Garden Compost Bin 11-Cubic Foot Capacity #K767

Envirocycle Composter – Compost Tumbler

Achla CMP-05 Spinning Horizontal Composter

Mantis 4000-00-02 ComposT-Twin Composting Bin

Earthmaker Aerobic Composter, 120 Gallon

For even more information about the best compost bin plans and products, please return to the Compost Bin Home Page.

Related posts:

1. Top Tumbling Compost Bin Selections
2. Best Compost Bin Models for Small Spaces