If you do not have $80 – $200 dollars to spend on a composter from Lowe’s or Home Depot, here’s some information for you on how to make a fast and easy DIY composter at home for free. Have you heard of Austin Craigslist? If you have visited this website, you have probably seen several postings for free wooden pallets. And you have probably wondered, why would anyone want that? You can create a DIY composter with 4 to 5 wooden pallets. You will need the following materials: 4-5 wooden pallets, nails, hammer, wire or rope, and paint (optional).
Pick out a spot in your backyard that has enough space for about a 4’x4’ box. Take one of the pallets and stand it up right in front of you, then you need to take another wooden pallet and place it side by side with the first wooden pallet forming a 90 degree angle. Once you have this angle formed and both of the side edges of the pallet or touching each other, you need to take the nails and hammer the pallets together. If you prefer not to use the nails, you can also tie the sides together with rope or wire.
Then take the remaining wooden pallets and create a square by attaching them together. And, you are done you have a ready to use composter with four wooden pallets. If you would like to create a lid for your composter, you will then need to use the fifth pallet. Place this on top of the square bin you have just created and you can either use the hinges to make an easy to open lid top to your compost bin or use rope or wire that you can tie to create a makeshift “hinged” lid.
If you would like your compost bin to match with your house, you can paint the bin with either paint o spray paint. You can also bring your compost bin into the garden by landscaping some lower growing plants around it or plant a vine to climb along the sides of the compost bin.
This is a quick and easy way to make a DIY free compost bin. It is also a great way to help Austin to become the greenest city in the country by helping to keep wooden pallets and decomposable garbage out of the landfill. Aside from saving money by making your own compost bin, you will save money year after year by making your own organic compost.