Plastic Bins for Vermicomposting

• One of the least expensive types of composting bins you can build is made from a plastic storage tub that can be purchased at most home centers. This type of storage container works well when composting with worms. After drilling several small holes in the bottom of the container to allow water runoff during composting, damp newspaper and cardboard should be added to the composting bin to serve as bedding for the worms. The lid of the container is securely fastened to prevent the loss of worms and to prevent the bin from becoming dehydrated. The placement of a drip pan underneath the bin to catch any water runoff is also economical in that it can be used for other gardening or composting purposes.
  
  

Garbage Cans

• Plastic or metal garbage cans can be modified to serve as composting bins. Using either a hammer and nails or a drill, small holes should be punched throughout the garbage can to allow oxygen to enter the bin. Layers of carbon rich brown materials, such as wood shavings, newspapers and cardboard, and nitrogen filled green materials such as fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee and tea grounds and lawn clippings, are placed in the compost bin. Water is added to the bin to help with the decomposition of the materials and the lid is secured in place. Once a week the bin needs to be placed on its side and rolled to allow the composting materials to have exposure to oxygen. Typically, within six to eight weeks the contents of the bin have successfully been composted.
  
  

Wire Mesh Composting Bins

• Wire mesh composting bins are fairly inexpensive to construct. One initial purchase of approximately 15 feet of 36-inch wide poultry wire is needed to construct the composting bin. The wire is formed into a circular shape and placed on the ground so that it is freestanding. The two edges of the piece of wire are secured together by several pieces of plastic ties or metal wires and then four stakes are secured to the inside perimeter of the frame and driven into the ground. It is not recommended to use food scraps with this type of composting bin since it will attract neighborhood pests.
  
  

Wood and Wire Mesh Composting Bins

• Composting bins constructed with a wooden frame and attached poultry wire mesh are fairly inexpensive to build. Using two-by-four pieces of wood and a piece of plywood, construct a box with the dimensions of 2 feet long by 2 feet wide by 2 feet high. The piece of plywood is attached to the bottom frame of the composting bin to serve as a floor. Attach the poultry wire mesh to the inside walls of the wooden frame using a staple gun. The composting bin is then ready to accept lawn and garden waste.