Buying compost is one of the highest costs in my garden. I use new compost each year to grow potatoes in grow bags, sow seeds and mulch the veg patch and flower beds. I moved to peat-free compost, which is better for the environment, but it does cost more. The Miracle Grow Peat Free Compost I use costs 14p per litre (based upon a 50 Litre bag). I can easily use up to 1000 Litres of compost each year, if not more, especially now I am working on improving the soil around my garden and increasing the amount of seed sowing I do each year. This means compost will cost me £140 or more each year and limit the financial benefits of growing my own food.

I have decided to try and reduce the amount of compost I purchase by upping my composting game. I already have two plastic compost bins, but these will only produce around 550 Litres (maximum), and I need more! If I had more space, I would prefer to build compost bins from pallets to easily turn the compost to aid decompensation, but the plastic containers are more compact, even if they are a little more awkward, to make sure the compost is well mixed.

I looked around for a 330 Litre compost bin and found most cost around £50-70 depending on the retailer. While the compost bin would offset the investment in the first year of compost production, I wanted to be able to reduce costs sooner.

Our local council subsidises compost bins through a website called “Get Composting“, which reduced the price to £16, just over 100 litres of shop-bought compost. The website also offers a range of other compost solutions, from compost tumblers to hot compost bins and water butts.

I bought a 330 Litre compost bin to add to the ones I already have and increase my compost production to a potential 880 litres. I suspect I will need more but may look into other composing options, such as a “hot bin” or following the bokashi method. Delivery took longer than buying from other retailers, but the reduced cost was worth waiting for. It arrived just in time as my two bins are almost full, and I need more composting capacity to accommodate the increase in grass cuttings.