Trash barrel as compost bin?

by Beatrice
(Beverly, MA)

You have a metal compost bin pictured at the top of this page. I've seen smaller sized compost bins at very expensive prices, all made of plastic. Is there any reason why a large trash barrel could or should not be used as a compost bin? I don't have space for a pile, don't have money for a fancy plastic rolling bin, don't have the patience to build a fancy turning support system. Can I just take a barrel with a locking lid, drill holes, add my organic material, and roll to turn? No one will even know I have a compost bin unless they look inside the barrel. I can keep it next to the other barrels and no one would be the wiser.

Doug says the compost won't know or care. The "fancy" 40-gallon drum had the top and bottom removed, sat on a pair of concrete blocks and worked just fine. The trick is not in the container but in the combination of the correct ingredients. Having said that - I just lost a bunch of advertisers for sure. :-)