My compost bin fell apart during the big rain last week

I've been trying to cut down on food waste for the last 6 months by keeping a compost pile in my backyard in Portland. Last Tuesday we got that huge storm and the whole wooden bin I built just collapsed sideways. All the half-rotted scraps and eggshells spilled out into the mud. I spent three hours scooping it back into a cheap plastic trash can I drilled holes in. The old bin was made from pallets I found behind a grocery store, so no big loss money wise. But I did lose track of where the good dark stuff was versus the fresh scraps. Now I'm thinking about just getting a proper tumbling bin from the hardware store. Has anyone used one of those spin barrel composters? Do they hold up better in heavy rain?

2 comments

2 Comments

scott.mia1mo ago

Honestly, have you looked at the UV rating on those spin barrels? I had a neighbor in Seattle who swore by hers, but then the plastic got all brittle after two winters and cracked in a freeze. The spinning part is nice for mixing, but tbh for Portland rain you might just want to reinforce a regular bin with some metal strapping. Those tumblers can get heavy and unbalanced when wet, and then they just stop spinning. I'd say stick with what you got, maybe just screw the pallets together with galvanized screws next time.

riverp371mo ago

Three winters? That's like 500 bucks worth of compost you're worried about losing to a cracked barrel. I mean yeah the UV thing is real, but house wrap or a tarp over the top costs like 15 bucks and takes ten minutes. @scott.mia makes a good point about the weight getting wobbly though, but honestly if you're not filling it with wet leaves and grass clippings at the same time it should balance fine. My uncle built one out of a 55 gallon drum and it just rolled around his yard for two years before the lid popped off. Are we overthinking this whole tumbler vs bin debate?