16.4 Cubic Foot Earthmaker Plastic Compost Bin

Earthmaker is eco-friendly, natural, organic, and easy. Earthmaker’s unique aerobic process supports new waste material on shelves above the ground. Radiant heat absorbed by the black plastic top, and heat naturally generated by the decomposition process, draws air up through the ventilation holes under the compost material. Aeration is increased when compost material loosens as it spills from shelf to shelf. Oxygen is needed for microbes to break down organic waste efficiently – so aerobic composting is faster!

Easy to Use
Earthmaker’s patented three-stage process uses traditional three-bin composting but stacked vertically so gravity does the hard work. Earthmaker’s continuous cycle process keeps new material away from older material. Food and garden waste can be added at any time. Mature mulch or compost can be removed when convenient. (Attempting to aerate material in a single bin unit means mixing new waste with old, which slows down the process.) The Earthmaker's included push-pull-tool makes it easy to mix and move material through the process without straining your back with heavy lifting and turning.

Faster Process
Research at Garden Organic, an independent research institute in the UK, found that Earthmaker will make twice as much compost as traditional bins over the same period. As noted above, when composting is aerobic it is more efficient as heat from the sun absorbed into the top chamber accelerates the process.

How the Earthmaker Works
Top chamber – mixing
Composting begins with microbial action. Fungi and bacteria make heat (that’s why grass cuttings get hot) and also like heat. Radiant energy from the sun (even when it’s cloudy) is helpful, especially in winter.

Middle chamber – digesting
'Biological mulching' occurs during the next phase. The internal climate is cooler and composting continues with invertebrates assisting micro-organisms to further break down larger particles of your valuable food and garden waste. Earthworms may hatch from eggs in the grass cuttings and leaves, etc.

Lower chamber – maturing and storing
As the material reaches the ground, excess water drains away and the process begins converting the mulch into compost. If you leave it long enough it will become sweet smelling and ‘friable’, but it can be added to your garden at any stage between mulch and compost.