DIY Pallet Compost Bin – 3-Bin System 

If you are anything like me, you have been envious of the fancy, clean looking compost bins you have seen in the home improvement and garden stores. We just bought our house, and it is a bit of a fixer-upper. As a result, I don’t really have the money to throw at a commercial compost bin that can hold as much waste as we will produce on 2 acres. Our home doesn’t have a garbage disposal, so what to do? Having a compost bin was a priority for me, and I had the first portion of this easy DIY pallet compost bin done in one afternoon. I didn’t have enough pallets to do all three bins, so I picked up the pallets I needed the following weekend. We completed the last two bins that same day. Easy peasy, that is all there was to it.  

 

Complete 3 bin compost system made from pallets

3 bin compost system

 

I don’t have mad woodworking skills, so the ease that other people described putting together these pallet compost bins really appealed to me. Eventually, after looking at several designs, I settled on a 3-bin compost system. One important thing to remember about composting: the pile will never be “finished” if you don’t stop adding to it. So, if I only have one bin, where am I going to put the kitchen scraps, garden waste, and yard clippings while I wait months for what is already in my bin to transform into black gold? I knew I needed more than one bin. The logic behind the 3-bin compost system is sound: one bin to add waste to now, one bin for unfinished compost, and one bin for finished or almost finished compost.  

 

Supplies

You will need:  

8 pallets 

A drill 

10 brackets 

Pack of screws (enough to put at least 4 screws into each bracket) 

2 hinges 

A door handle 

A latch 

We already had the drill and the screws that I needed, and my husband picked up the brackets, hinges, door handle, and latch at Home Depot.  

 

First Compost Bin

The most awkward part of the project (especially if you are doing this alone) was putting the first two pallets together. It might be best to get help for this first part, especially since it only takes a minute to get the two pallets together. I used a random branch to prop up one pallet while I screwed the brackets in.  

 

After that, I attached the third pallet, creating a 3-sided bin. That was all I did the first weekend. The following weekend, it was just a matter of adding two more pallets for each bin.  

 

First compost bin completed

First compost bin

 

The Door

The final part is optional, and I didn’t see it in the other designs I found online. I decided to add a door to my “fresh ingredients” compost bin. If you live in a more urban area and you don’t get a lot of critters, than maybe you don’t need the door. Putting the kitchen scraps back inside the bin after the nocturnal creatures dragged them out got on my nerves. I don’t care if they eat the scraps, I just don’t want the animals to drag them everywhere, hence the door. The beauty of the design is you can add the door at any time, if you do discover you need it.  

 

Adding the door is another time having another person is probably necessary. Hold the door pallet securely against the bin to install the hinges properly. My husband and I did this part together. We also put on the latch together, and he did the door handle. You don’t really need a door handle. It does help with opening the door when you need to turn the pile.  

 

Compost bin door with latch and handle

Compost bin door with latch and handle

 

Conclusion

So, in the end, I would say this was a very worthwhile project. Especially when you consider how expensive quality wood can be. Some of my pallets weren’t in perfect condition. Actually, most of them had broken or missing pieces. Wood of that quality is hard to come by. Always check for pallets that haven’t been chemically treated. There are many blog posts on the topic, like this one here. It will show you what to look for when looking over pallets. If you can’t confirm the safety of a pallet, don’t use it! Especially if you are going to use them for compost. If it gets into the compost, it gets into the garden, and that means it is in the fresh fruits and veggies you worked so hard to grow.  

 

Heap of free pallets outside of a store.

The only pallets I took were marked ‘HT’ or ‘heat treated’.

 

Have you made a pallet compost bin? What was your experience like? Would you do it again? Please comment below. I would love to read your thoughts! 

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