Rolling Barrel Composter made of Used Food Barrel

[MrBoggerly]

I think this is a good idea!

[tsneds01]

Great Video!

[Art4booze]

It's stupid enough to think you need a barrel to make compost, but to think that the barrel needs to be rolled in one direction only is.. oh please, lady you look like a fool.

[TheBigBadWoIf]

isnt $39.99 a bit steep for a used barrel?

[shortywarn]

while good in therory this design sucks and doesn't work well

sorry but it's the truth,,,, and 50 bucks for barrels many are giving away sems steep in price

[TomsUniverse1]

so basicly... it's a barrel

[gillandstephen]

I use a barrel similar to this and even standing it up is difficult when it is 75% full never mind, "simply flip it around." Pay the money for some hinges and a couple of clasps and put a door in the side and roll it backward and forward. Still easier than turning a vertical bin, aerates better and keeps the vermin out.

Be careful of back injuries when standing your bin, as for flipping it around, You're joking right?

[envirosponsible]

@gillandstephen 75% is the maximum. If you're comfortable with less weight then don't fill it as much. The door idea doesn't work well at all. I've tried a number of them. Why would turning the barrel around be difficult?

[hoofmama]

pretty anal



[ToxicJungle1]

40 bucks for something that they got it for free, that's how you make money from garbage

[ThreeEyedTeddyBear]

first thought is where to get some of them but for the $40 it says in the background for a sale why not go get a big circle trash can with a lid for $12?

[watuwaitn4]

I like how she says "simply flip the barrel around", won't the barrel be heavy? might not be so easy to flip around.

[envirosponsible]

@watuwaitn4 It's recommended that the barrel not be filled over 75% of capacity, and that the organic matter is a 50/50 mix of brown (dead) and green (wet). If overloaded the barrel will be heavy. If the guidelines are heeded though the barrel is manageable.

[hlsour02]

I have three of these barrels, but I don't know where they came from...any advice on where to get tops for them or how I could make tops for them??

[envirosponsible]

@hlsour02 Hmmm, nothing comes to mind.  Anyone else?

[ThreeEyedTeddyBear]

@hlsour02 you can make lide for them or just find some on ebay... trust me... they are on there. If you wanna go cheap... layer two trash bags over the top and get a big rubber band or something you cna take on and off. the layering will keep the stuff in and the rubber band you can put on and off letting you add / remove stuff

[arkansastrash320]

@hlsour02 You could cut out a piece of wood in a circle and mount a hinge on it and on the barrell and maybe use a slide bolt lock like is used on doors to lock it closed and thats all i can think of at the moment!

[mattmaes]

You must be from Canada. Recognize the accent immediately (sounds like that of my cousins from the Winnipeg area)

Such a simple way to do it...

[envirosponsible]

We're definitely from Canada. Good call.

[CarlLewenski]

Air Conditioners do not destroy the ozone. The refrigerant is in a sealed system, which absorbs heat, compresses it, then blows the heat off the pipes outside. And even in the small instance that an AC does leak, the ozone destroying CFC's that you are thinking of are being phased out. Most systems these days have HFC's. (CFC = cholrine, flourine, carbon. HFC = hydrogen, flourine, carbon.)

So AC's are actually environmentally friendly. It's SWIMMING POOLS that have chlorine open to the air!

[Rockinghorseshart]

Sorry I've not replied sooner.

I stand by my comments- "simply tip the barrel up" !

Please do a vid with a full barrel of typical "tea giving" compost & prove me wrong (so long as its you & not Lou Ferrigno doing the demo). Post me when you've done.

PS. wear some clothes that you might want to throw away ("tea spillage" ) when you're doing the new demo....... just like the clothes you wore in this one!! (sorry, I couldn't resist it, thats the English for ya!).

[envirosponsible]

I've been rolling one in my backyard this summer without any issues. I'll make a video soon and post it, and I'll be sure to pm you.

[envirosponsible]

Hey there, I took some time to try it myself and I have to tell you that it can get heavy. A good way to deal with that is to not fill it to the 75% level. As for getting dirty, only my hands got some compost tea and dirt on them. The only way to get your clothes dirty is if you rolled the barrel with your body instead of your hands.

[pgm98387]

Appreciate taking the time to share this information.

How much for shipping?

pgm 98387

[envirosponsible]

Thanks for the kind words. Unfortunately we don't ship barrels-just too costly.

[EVILTRIPS666]

no, do leap frog!!!

[HolieKrap]

DO A BARREL ROLL!!!!

[prieten49]

I think this is well thought out. The composting liquids will have leaked out throught the bottom holes. Yes, the barrel could eventually get heavy, but not for a long time. Kitchen food scraps and even green grass clippings are full of water that evaporates. That's why compost volume is much less than the volume of raw material you started with. The only small problem I see is the good compost will fall out of all those holes.

[envirosponsible]

The reason it's rolled in one direction is so that the compost inside is mixed thoroughly, which is mentioned in the video. The point of this composter is to put a little work into composting to speed up the process. Most importantly though it's an inexpensive solution. Yes, it can be put onto a base for easier rolling. The motor suggestion is interesting. Perhaps you could hook it up to your Hummer axle and sit inside of it eating ice cream and blasting the AC.

[BrotherMalcolmW]

Way to be snarky and alienate people - aren't you tryn to be a business? I am not sure why so many enviro-weenies (redirected snark - I do not covet your dollars) seem to be to snippy.

I love the idea though. To bad you are jerks.

[envirosponsible]

He drew first blood Colonel. But seriously. I'm not a whipping post, and I'm not gonna take crap from anyone.  So if rockinghorse wants to be a punk then I'm going to reciprocate. Besides, he didn't seem hurt by my response. I wish I could take credit for the only nice thing you wrote, but the idea isn't mine-I borrowed it. Thanks for commenting.

[envirosponsible]

Wow, lot's of questions from rockinghorseshart. This is an advert for those in my area who can come and buy one from me. It's also a how to of sorts for those anywhere else in the world who would like to make their own. The holes will allow for "compost tea" to be released from the barrel, though the tea is great for the lawn. The composter shouldn't weight that much since it should be half brown and half green organics and shouldn't be filled over 75%. It shouldn't weigh more than a mower.

[haansgruber]

I wonder if she is gonna come roll it for me

[Rockinghorseshart]

CONT'D Why do you need to roll it only in the direction of the arrow- have you done trials to confirm this? What about the space needed and the available terrain to roll this?

it all seems half baked with a "hippy" whiff about it.

Attach a frame, an electric motor powered by a car battery and a recharger solar panel to it and youre getting somewhere. Until then forget it.

[BrotherMalcolmW]

I made mine from an old pickle boric acid barrel obtained from a nuclear plant.

The drilled holes not only speed up the reaction but will allow the wonderfully nutrient rich "compost tea" to leach into your lawn - it will thank you.

[Rockinghorseshart]

Is this an advert?? This does seem ill conceived- what about all the smelly effluent that will be rolled out of the holes? what about the weight as you "simply" turn it around the corner ( surely this will weigh around 60-90kg?? Can you forsee yourself picking this up??)CONT'D

[BrotherMalcolmW]

You are correct - if/when the barrel is ~50% full of compost (material post breakdown) then it will be WAY to heavy for most people to "simply turn it around" - unless you partake in strongman competitions!

[WurledPeas]

@BrotherMalcolmW Then I must be a strongman with my bad knees, bad back and tendonitis. I do this with a barrel over half full every day. My barely over 100# wife can turn it too.

[fampeter]

this must be a cute canadian girl with a good idea....a local recycler of drums and barrels doesnt carry the typw with the screw on top...I wonder where I can find this?