COMPOST BIN
MANUFACTURING
Introduction
In Sri Lanka, home composting is promoted in many municipalities as a simple and low-cost
solution to emerging waste disposal problems in the present day society. In this process, valuable
compost is produced using the organic components of household waste that we dispose of as
being spent, useless, worthless, or in excess to our needs.
Different types of home composting units/bins are available in the market, which are
manufactured from plastic, metal or concrete rings. Concrete bins have been identified as the
most cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution, when compared to other designs.
Production of concrete bins has been limited to a few fabricators in the capital city Colombo but
there is a huge gap in the dissemination of this knowledge to the other small-scale fabricators in
other parts of Sri Lanka. Therefore, this technical brief is intended to disseminate the technology
of concrete composting bin fabrication.
Main component of 3-ring concrete compost bin
Top lid
Top ring
Middle ring
Bottom ring
Compost removal doors
Base
Plate-01.
Credit: Practical Action South Asia
Moulds for the manufacturing process
During the bin fabricating process, each component of the bin is moulded separately in concrete.
Moulds can be prepared using metal sheets or, preferably, fibreglass. Separate moulds are
required for:
Basement
Bottom ring
Middle ring
Top ring
Top cover
Covering lid
Compost removing doors
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