The product of composting when added to ordinary soil is a very effective way to improve and add nutrients and beneficial microbes to the soil.  This is highly encouraged nowadays to also reduce the amount of rubbish being thrown to the environment – but in reality, especially in the city, not everyone has the advantage of space.  Not to worry, composting can be done utilizing an ordinary trash can.  Here’s how to make a compost bin from a trash can:

1. Purchase a 30 to 50 gallon plastic or metal garbage can with a lid.  Drill quarter of an inch holes in the sides, the bottom and the lid, leaving 6 to 12 inches between each hole.  This will ensure better air circulation during the whole composting process.  Covering these holes with window screening is also highly recommended.

2. Position this garbage can in an ideal location – maybe on your balcony or any space you have in your yard.  This will look like any ordinary trash can where you throw your rubbish.  For proper aeration, place this on top of a few bricks piled carefully or just ordinary hollow-blocks, thus allowing better aeration, which hastens the process.

3. Start putting in brown and green compost materials alternately. The recommended ratio is four parts brown and one part green. The brown would be the dry leaves, twigs and spent flowers you raked from your yard, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea leaves and tea bags or just shredded newspapers.  The green would be the leftover cooked vegetables, over ripe fruits and veggies, fruit and vegetable peels and cores.  It is suggested that these things be cut into small pieces. Too much green can make your compost too wet and too much brown will delay composting. Never put in any meat or dairy products as this will just spoil and emit foul odors later.  This will definitely invite unwanted pests and can also harbor harmful bacteria that can cause diseases.

4. Put in a little garden soil as the soil contains micro organisms that can help hasten composting.  This compost material should be kept moist but not wet.  Keeping it dry makes the composting process much longer.  Turning the contents once or twice a week is needed to keep it aerated. You can drill in the middle and turn the contents or simply roll the trash can on its side for a few times.

5. It takes approximately four to six weeks for composting to be completed. Longer is expected if the ratio of brown is bigger than the green.  Proper moisture should also be maintained. You just need to monitor it every week to make sure it is kept moist and it is turned regularly to achieve good compost.

Composting with very little space available is still possible.  Knowing how to make a compost bin from a trash can allows you to still do it.  You reap all the benefits from this, like making use of your rubbish to make your garden soil more suitable for gardening.  Expect to have more flowers and healthier plants in your garden when you practice composting.  This is also your little contribution to saving the environment by minimizing the rubbish being thrown out.  Furthermore, you can repeat the process using the same trash can again and again to have a regular supply of compost every time – thus saving you expenses from buying fertilizers to nourish your garden soil.  Natural is always the best!