plastic v wood compost bins

[garden numpty]

We've inherited some home made compost heaps in the garden of our new house which is great. We're new to composting although very enthusiastic. With young children around we want to clean up the area so are considering replacing these with plastic compost bins.
are these as good? are there any probs with air circulation etc?
Pros and cons?

ta very much

[Reb Williams]

Forgive the question, I'm not being rude, but why would changing to plastic 'clean up the area'? and what is dirty/unclean about your inherited compost heaps?
I speak as someone who spent my childhood covered in muck and compost and am all the healthier for it. Don't deprive your kids of the chance to learn about the real, unsanitized, non-plastic world. Please.

Reb
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[garden numpty]

Hi Reb

Don't worry, I'm all for getting mucky, and climbing frames that you can actually fall off etc

Perhaps I should have pharsed this a little differently. When I said 'clean up' I was meaning the tidy/control sense rather than hygiene. The current heaps are 3 sided - no fronts. they have bits of old wire and roof tiles in there for some reason, and use old bits of asbestos to weigh down the carpet on top. We're considering whether to maintain and fix the existing system or swap to plastic as we already have one bin free from the council (currently being used as a play house), and another salvaged from my parents neighbours garden.

A direct swap would actually be the easier option for us right now as it would save us fixing the existing, but we don't want to swap to plastic if the existing system is really the better option. We haven't done any serious composting before.

Can you shed any more unclean light on this for us?

[bluemoon]

We use plastic. I suspect wooden ones are probably better from a composting point of view, being better insulated and usually larger. The plastic ones do have the advantage in being easily relocated once empty and, having 2 plots and lots of friends and relatives who send us their composting, plus the chicken bedding, we do generate lots of it, so we have several which are filled continuously in turn for 6 to 8 weeks before we move on to filling the next one. It means that when it's time to start a new one I can slot it in where there's a bit of space at the time. Once full a bit of bubble-wrap around them helps with the insulation. It depends upon your circumstances, how you garden, how much you'll generate, etc, etc. It's all down to personal preference in the end.

[zazen999]

I'm in the middle of making new wooden ones, to replace the plastic ones. It depends on the state of your bin; and whether you can tidy it up and add a front yourself so that it does the job...

[garden numpty]

I'm in the middle of making new wooden ones, to replace the plastic ones. It depends on the state of your bin; and whether you can tidy it up and add a front yourself so that it does the job...

So why are you replacing the plastic ones?


Thanks both of you for your feedback btw

[Bren In Pots]

I've been thinking of using wooden ones because I find my plastic Dalek really difficult to lift when it comes time to empty it. I rock it side to side for ages then it still takes 2 of us to lift the bin free of the compost.

[bobleponge]

I have 3 plastic ones and 2 (soon to be 3) larger ones made from wriggly tin.
The stuff in the wriggly tin doesnt have a lid, so is open to the elements all year round, and I only turn them when moving stuff from one to the next, so once in its time in the bin, but I find it composts better than the stuff in the plastic.
The plastic ones are generally tidier and cleaner than the open type heaps, but if you can put a front on, make the 4th side, then there's no reason why you couldnt continue to use what is already there.

[fran]

Does anyone think that nasty chemicals might leach out of the plastic into the compost in hot weather? I've been thinking about an email I was sent about not leaving water in the heat in plastic drinking bottles because of leaching and it was dangerous! Mind you, drinking water is left out in hot sun in Mediterranean countries.....but it did get me thinking that the plastic in dalek bins is probably made from all sorts of waste nasties and could affect the compost. Mine gets very hot, even tho it's in the shade and I'm going to make wooden ones for the plot - or use trench composting.

[Rocketron]

Hi Reb

Don't worry, I'm all for getting mucky, and climbing frames that you can actually fall off etc

Perhaps I should have pharsed this a little differently. When I said 'clean up' I was meaning the tidy/control sense rather than hygiene. The current heaps are 3 sided - no fronts. they have bits of old wire and roof tiles in there for some reason, and use old bits of asbestos to weigh down the carpet on top. We're considering whether to maintain and fix the existing system or swap to plastic as we already have one bin free from the council (currently being used as a play house), and another salvaged from my parents neighbours garden.

A direct swap would actually be the easier option for us right now as it would save us fixing the existing, but we don't want to swap to plastic if the existing system is really the better option. We haven't done any serious composting before.

Can you shed any more unclean light on this for us?

[Jeanied]

I'm no expert on compost bins but I've got all sorts. 1) round plastic daleks - get very hot and rot down small amounts quite fast - not enough to kill my bindweed roots though. Get a bit too dry - then ants move in and slow worms. All of which I feel is quite green. After a year or so I have about 1/2 bin of good usable stuff. 2) square wooden slatted bins - really good to take loads of stuff but it does need layering or turning - I have to bring stuff in to fill them (shredded paper, horse poo) - but I've started making compost bin duvets and it really has made a difference - also I have stapled some fleece around the outside. 3) builder's pallets tied up to make a rectangle - using plant debris and general green matter / peelings : no additional protection around the outside - this one is my latest enterprise - recently had the addition of grass cuttings and a new duvet and lo! this evening I checked and there was steam coming off it. Clearly composting going on! I know by spring I'll have at least half of it in good brown stuff.

[Two_Sheds]

I've got a traditional wooden heap made from 4 sides of pallet wood. It takes ages to rot down and it is difficult to extract the finished compost from.

I find Daleks much easier, myself. I site them in the middle of a bed, fill them up, water them well: they rot down quickly then I can lift the top off and spread the compost directly on the bed.

PS. The plastic ones don't work well in shade ... I have one at home and it takes forever to rot down, but it's all I can manage in a small space

[poly]

I agree with Rocketron, I would initially be more worried about the old bits of asbestos.

I use both plastic and wood pallet compost bins and find they work equally well. But I prefer the pallets as they blend into the background more and I can get loads in. Both seem to be able to produce a good heat, as long as I add enough of the right ingredients!

[garden numpty]

Thanks all for your thoughts and experiences. I think we might clear them in turn and stick plastic bins inside 2 to see how we get on. Delay the decision!
Great tips on sun spots / bubblewrap etc