My DIY pallet compost bin turned out way too small, the math on that surprised me

I measured out a 3x3 foot bin last weekend and then looked up the actual volume of kitchen scraps my family of four makes, turns out it's like 4 times bigger than I thought, anyone else undershoot their first compost build?.

2 comments

2 Comments

knight.felix29d ago

Did you double check the math before you built it? I feel your pain, I did the exact same thing with mine. Thought a 4x4 was plenty for two people, but we fill it up in like a month. The pile shrinks so much though, so you might be okay if you turn it often. I ended up just adding a second bin next to the first one, way cheaper than rebuilding from scratch. It's just one of those things you gotta learn by doing, I guess.

olivia_moore26d ago

You might be okay if you turn it often" really hit home for me. I used to think any bin size would work as long as you were patient, but after watching mine stall out for weeks because I barely flipped it, yeah, I get it now. The shrink is real, but it only happens if you actually keep it aerated, which I totally underestimated. Adding that second bin sounds way smarter than tearing mine apart, I might copy that move honestly.