My DIY Compost Bin

I have had recycling kitchen scraps on my mind for a very long time and a week ago I ordered a countertop bin and I love it. I have tried other methods with an old copper cannister and coffee cans but they were harder to use when chopping veggies and wanting to dispose of the waste and stuff got slimy and stinky before it was time to empty. This little item I bought lives on top of my double bin step-on garbage on top of the side I seldom use. I can open it even if my hands are full and the lid opens and closes with a one-finger touch. There was no odor after 5 days of refuse I dumped in my compost bin yesterday. It is the perfect size for me and I hunted down every single kitchen scrap that passed me by. I filled it almost to the brim in 5 days while I scoured the internet for the perfect DIY to make from a plastic storage bin. I already have two large old bins that were empty and waiting and more filled with junk in the loft over my garage. The one I used is old enough to be marked Made in USA rather than China. I would have looked for a black one if I were purchasing new but this is a win win way to recycle the bin I already owned.

I drilled holes on all sides and on the bottom for air flow and drainage.

I searched so many DIY sites and decided on this size holes because I felt some of the other sites used holes much too large. I have brick-sized blocks on the bottom to keep slime from forming. As I mentioned before, there are random holes drilled all over the bottom too. I put a metal tray with sides to catch the overflow after a rain. I bought it years ago from a lady who used it for pizza but it was too big for my oven or under my sink. I am finding uses for all my junk this year. I put my bin outside my basement door in the shade. If I had put it in a sunny location, it would have dried out too quickly.

I followed this funny lady's suggestions except for the size of the holes. Her little dog made me laugh. There were many, many other DIY sites that used holes the size of mine. I have a plug-in drill and it worked perfectly. The tub was much harder to drill than I expected and I was glad I had the power of an electric drill. I honestly didn't even know I had it until I discovered it last week in my garage while I was organizing there.

Here is my original Google Search for DIY Compost Bins. The first one that caught my eye had big holes drilled in the lid and bottom only. I opted for the holes all over approach. I can't wait to open it to see what is happening inside but will wait until my little kitchen bin is full before I do. Then I will stir things up before adding my second batch of stuff that is appropriate. Here is a pictorial link for the things I can  and cannot use. I was surprised to see dryer lint and hair or fur are allowed. Now I can clean out my hairbrushes too and leave some of my DNA in my finished compost. 

Little bin atop my step-in garbage. It comes in white too which I would get white if I wanted it to live on my kitchen counter. The gray one is perfect here and within easy reach when I want it on the counter.

My first layer in my newly-drilled bin was dried leaves. My second layer was dirt. My third layer was my first load of kitchen scraps that I covered with fresh grass. I am new at this and will keep you posted. xo

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Injured Sea Creatures in Doctor's Waiting Room

Look what ocean pollution is doing to all the sea creatures. Please recycle your plastic!
A RECYCLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY.
YouTube link here.

“Marine life in plastic is not fantastic.”

Greta Thunberg is my hero. Read all about her global warming campaign here. How one teenager became the voice of the planet. #FridaysForFuture

Greta was on the cover of Time Magazine. Don't you love her shoes? She posted this photo on her Instagram.

Understanding 7 Billion

This is a very powerful video about understanding the world's population. I learned a lot. Please watch it; you'll be glad you did. Share too.

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Earth In A Pinch

Earth, in a pinch . . . part of a contemporary art sculpture exhibit at the Parc de Chaudfontaine, Belgium. This giant clothespin, dubbed Pinching Earth was designed to inspire action to save the planet. Earth's Clothespin
Artist: Uysal Mehmet Ali (Photo: Mmarsupilami/Flickr)



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A Black Bear Cub With Jar Stuck on Head

The marines are calling him Jarhead.
Florida bear rescued after getting head stuck in jar
"It may seem like a story ripped from the pages of 'Winnie the Pooh,' but a little black bear is alive after Florida biologists removed a plastic bottle stuck on its head for at least 10 days." Poor little guy . . . he must have been so scared.



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BE THE ONE to Help Restore America's Gulf

Watch this video and Sign the petition.




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Polar Bear Pickets in Washington

No more off-shore drilling.




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NBC to Air Prince Charles' Film on Environment

NBC to Air Prince Charles Film on Environment, Harmony
"NBC is teaming up with Prince Charles for a new TV special about the environment.

HARMONY, which is slated to air in November, stems from Prince Charles' three decades of work fighting climate change and searching for new solutions to the worldwide environmental crisis.

Watch videos of Prince Charles

This looks good. I shall watch the movie this Fall. I wish he would do a video on how to build a wattle fence. I've always wanted one.




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Endangered Carnivorous Plant Fears Floral Designers

Sarracenia leucophylla, the white-topped pitcher plant, grows wild in bogs and the wet pine savannas of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The nectar-producing ‘pitchers’ of these rare and uncommonly beautiful carnivorous plants are actually specialized leaves that lure, trap, and digest insects as a means of obtaining the nutrients lacking in their infertile soil. Demand for Sarracenia leucophylla for use in floral displays has led to widespread, illegal, and unsustainable harvesting of these wild plants. Agricultural and urban development, suppression of naturally-occurring fires, and competition from invasive plant species also pose threats to the habitats of wild populations of this spectacular species. If you see these plants in their native environment, just admire them and leave them alone so they can multiply. They are spectacular, aren't they?
Source.
Photo credit.




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Do You Know Where Your Food Comes From?

Watch OPRAH today or record the show if you will not be home. Michael Pollan (Food 101) and Alicia Silverstein will be guests. Alicia will discuss her new vegan cookbook The Kind Diet.

Read more about the show, watch a video, and try 4 recipes from The Kind Diet. My DVR is set to record in case I'm not home. This should be good.




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COCO ECO Magazine | Read It Online

Here is another great magazine that you can read online. I love Alicia Silverstone and her "kind" vegan lifestyle. Her new book, "The Kind Diet" sounds like something I'd like to embrace. Eating meat is so yesterday. Alicia has a website called The Kind Life that's brimming with interesting information. Check it out when you have time.




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Even Rudolph Has Gone Green

This is the front of a Christmas Card I designed and sent two years ago. People loved it. Even Rudolph has decided to go green. Have you? The reindeer is an early engraved armorial crest. See the inside message here.




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Britain's Smallest Library in a Red Telephone Box

Villagers in Westbury-sub-Mendip, Somerset, England were heartbroken when the mobile library service stopped coming to deliver books. The next library was 4 miles away...a long way to travel for a good read. Someone came up with the brilliant idea of buying a red telephone box and adding shelves to convert it into a tiny book exchange for all to enjoy. It has been a runaway success. The phone box library is open every day for 24 hours and is lit at night. There is a regular check on it to see if some titles are not moving. These are then shipped on to a charity shop to keep the phone box collection fresh. Read more + more.

I love wonderful stories like this, don't you? We have a free book exchange at my post office. There was a village uproar here when all of a sudden the USPS decided it wasn't appropriate. It wasn't in the actual post office, but the vestibule and it was quickly put back after we all wrote letters and made phone calls. We love our little place to buy a stamp, mail a letter, and take a book or magazine. There is a big turnover since everyone makes regular deposits too. All for the love of books.

What's your library card worth? Find out now.




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Cate Blanchett :: "I Speak Earth"

Visit the website for I.Speak.Earth




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Brown Pelican Removed From Endangered List

I was very excited to hear on the news last night that after nearly 40 years on the brink of extinction, the Brown Pelican is coming off the endangered species list. It's so good to hear something positive about the environment every once in a while, isn't it? Read more.

John James Audubon would be so happy that these pelicans did not go the way of the Carolina Parrot and the Passenger Pigeon and become extinct. Thanks for stopping by the cottage for today's natural history lesson. ~Rosemary