Topic: 280l compost bin - is it worth it?

[legless]

just been nosing around the council website and they do 280l compost daleks for £16.45. is that a decent size or is it way too small? i can get up to 2......

[Ed^Chigliak]

That's about half the price I paid at a garden centre so good value although I hear some places they have been giving them away for free. Apparently when they do get given away freely it's like invasion of the darleks. Folk everywhere carrying them home on their heads presumable shouting out exterminate exterminate in a strangled voice.

I like these bins for home use because they are neat and tidy and handy just outside the back door for kitchen waste and lawn / hedge cutting. I have two types of plastic compost bin. One is the round darlek variety and the other came flat pack and builds into a square darlek. The square bin is the best IMO because it has access hatches on all four sides for raking out the compost. Also you can rake out the contents sooner and put them straigh back into the top of the bin to facilitate turning. The flat sides tend to bulge out as the contents settle down and this makes the hatches which slide up and down difficult to operate. The square bin cost less, was easier to transport flat packed, holds more, has better ventilation, better access at the bottom and at the top although the the top lid can and does blow off in strong winds. Easily fixed with a bungie chord just not got arounds to it.

Volume wise for use down the allotment I would imagine they are on the small size for the quantity of compostable material and have read this elsewhere. Personally I plan to build a 3 bay timber composter of some description over the winter period.

No posts and then some loon writes a great long essay. Sods law that you know.

Ed^

[legless]

cheers ed! essay was great. i think they might be a bit small but i feel its my duty to get one to prove to the council that people want them! cerig if you're reading its north tyneside council.

don't have a garden a home just a yard so not really worth it here. i might get one for luck while i save up to construct proper compost bins.

[Ceri]

Cheers legless - I have a garden so I got mine from t'council a couple of years ago - and I'm sure they were subsidised more in those days - perhaps I paid £12 - can't remember.  its a good dalek bin though - unfortunately no clever bottom bit that you can lift open to get the compost out - it seems to hold a fair whack, and sinks fairly quickly so its never chock full - I've got another one made of an old rubbish bin now we have the wheelies! p.s. I did a favour for t'council's allotment man at the weekend - got some scaff boards for the volunteers returfing marden quarry to use - he said there is a meeting planned soon of all the secretaries of the associations to see about funding - apparently there might be some - and what to spend it on - TOILETS TOILETS TOILETS please!!!  p.s. you must go to the Studley Gardens end of the quarry now - its fab (sorry to all those who have no idea what i'm talking about) - loads of wildlife stuff going on.

[legless]

ride past it on the way to and from the plot, will pop in next time. hubby didn't know the quarry was there until 2 weeks ago  :D

[clare]

I was wondering just the other day whether the dalek bins were worth it ... but our council is offering them for £5 at the mo so I've just ordered two to get me started!!  too much of a bargain..  ;D

will probably make a 'proper' compost heap later on, once I've filled up the daleks!!

I agree Legless - it's important to make the council realise that people want these kind of things!!  gotta get something back from my council tax!