Wasting food is worse than nails on a chalk board..almost. I shed a small piece of my heart each time I throw food into the garbage. I still have my entire heart because I refuse to waste, I will save even the smallest morsel of a meal to incorporate into the next. So what do I waste then? Scraps of food that I deem inedible: think watermelon rinds, lemon peels, garlic skin, wilted leafy produce. Rather than throw these away, why not compost them!
Compost bins these days can be expensive, and take up a lot of space. There are plenty of DIY projects all over the internet, from digging holes in the ground to getting an old garbage can and filling it with left over food. I know someone who recently made a compost bin out of milk crates. It’s worked out well for our left over scraps!
DIY Compost Bin
You wont need much, just some milk crates (3 of them for a good rotation system), weed blocker, paper bags, and a hot glue gun.
These are the crates we used. We have three, but are starting with two to get the compost going. You won’t need the third one for a bit.
Oh surprise, I used a TJ’s bag. You’ll need a sturdy paper bag to lay on the bottom of the bin. Eventually this will compost into your soil, but it will take time and lets the food break down first.
You will take the weed block fabric of your choice, and hot glue it to the four side walls of the bin. Do not put a layer on the bottom, the bottom is only for the paper bag. You don’t want weeds growing into your compost, they taste like intruders.
Glue glue glue. This part is dangerous, I couldn’t risk burning my clumsy sausage fingers. This is where you will need a Manfriend to stare at longingly.
Voila, repeat these steps on the other two crates and you are almost ready to start spoiling food for fresh soil.
Add a little bit of soil to get the bin started.
The lid helps to keep the soil dark and moist, but you will need to let the bins have sun and water occasionally.
Admiration at its finest.
This compost bin is strictly veg friendly. No meats or animal products will find their way into the bin. With meat you have to worry about other breakdown methods. If you want a meat friendly bin, this is the wrong blog for you.
Q: Do you waste a lot of food? Ever thought about saving scraps like this? Someday this will be soil to fuel my garden!
Brilliant! It kills me to toss produce scraps, too, which proves a touch embarrassing when in other people’s homes
.
Ooh awesome! My parents have always composted, and when I first moved out on my own it killed me how much kitchen scraps I had to throw away!
Love this idea! So simple. Now, to find some milk crates.
I love this idea, you make it look so simple.. and I just happen to have three “man-friends” lounging about today, lol! xo Smidge
Using milk crates have to be one of the best ideas! Thanks for sharing.
Yay for compost! Grab some worms at your local fishing store and toss them in with some damp leaves [they LOVE leaves], they’ll have a rave, glow sticks and all, leaving your compost to party on with the plants!
RAWRRR worm party!
This is awesome, way to go on this! I know it is tough to motivate myself to really take care of the environment when you are on your own. Such a great idea.
This is awesome! We compost at my house, but we have a huge eyesore of a bin. When I move back into my own place, I’m doing this!
my old city used to pick up our scraps for a city compost and i loved it! now the scraps go in the bin … but there’s very little scrap left since i eat all parts of the vegetables… and i mean all!
I hate wasting food. Partially because I’m Jewish and if I’m spending money I like to get my worth aahahhaha, but mainly because I love food and I don’t want to waste a single bite of it. Plus people don’t realize that even if a food has bruises or stuff on it that doesn’t mean that it isn’t edible. I love this idea though!! I’m gonna have to suggest doing this with my roommate.
Very cool idea missy, look at you being all earth-loving-like
I do also hate to waste food, and was guilty of it as a kid. Not as much anymore, but there improvement to be had!
You are so resourceful and I love it!
Love it! You KNOW I love this
Go manfriend,,,, adventurer, wise plant-guy and NOW home DIY greenie helper
I don’t want to sound like a completely redonkulous ditz, but is our manfriend your boyfriend Brittany? If not, feel free to telepathically konk me on the head
. Anyhoo, this is a fabulous idea! I love trying to figure out ways to be more eco-friendly and get creative with it. I have never put much thought into starting a compost because I feared the smell, but this is awesome!
And lol, “If you want a meat friendly bin, this is the wrong blog for you.” YOU are hilarious.
Yes yes yes that is my boyfriend for sureee! I just like the name manfriend. Baha.
This is such a great idea! I HATE wasting food, especially when it’s down to it going off because I’ve taken too long to eat it so this looks like a DIY project that I need to try
! Just outta curiosity, is your manfriend vegan too?
Yess he and I are both eating vegan. He went vegetarian (ALL on his own I swear) after getting sick off of some meat last December. Then we took the vegan plunge together to see how we liked it. We loved it!
My daddy is an herbalist, so he is ALL about composting!! Ive helped him with it one too many times!! It does make great soil, but beware, it can seriously STINK towards the end! lol
This is awesome! I would totally love to make a bin sometime
Once again, I think you and manfriend need to start a bed and breakfast. And you could have a huge compost bin for the leftovers and teach others on how to be more careful with garbage and waste and protecting the giant earth of a planet. I like the flower in his hair, it is very fitting. When you two get married, you both should wear a matching wreath of them upon your heads. It will be very regal. And non-wasteful. And glorious.
This is so great, I love DIY projects! The city I live in has a green bin program where all of our food scraps are thrown out separate from every thing else so they can be composted
This is great!! I have always wanted to make a compost bin,but assumed I would have to buy one for some reason. Thanks for this post!
Your compost pile is absolutely gorgeous!!! I normally eat EVERYTHING (my entire daily stock), so I don’t have the opportunity to compost (the monkey eats the leftover veggies that I can’t dip into reduced sugar ketchup and happily devour).
– BUT, when I did juice for a few days, I gave all of my juicing scraps to EDmund’s mother who has a nice compost pile. I can’t wait for you and manfriend to get married. I simply want to buy you a gift from the registry, like right now!, because you’re so cute! 
Mwah!
What a clever idea. We have to compost inside with an enclosed unit up where we live but I’ll remember that for when we move south again.
Brilliant! I always think that I need to start composting, but I just haven’t done it yet. Mostly because I think that I’m afraid it will be really difficult. You make it look so easy! Thanks for this, girl!
Love this idea! But, ours would fill up soooo fast!
I love this idea! i also HATE throwing away food! We were able to compost in our last apt and I LOOOOVED it!!
Pingback: Carrots, Goats, and Strains | BlissfulBritt