What can I put in my compost bin? The UK list
Everything from egg boxes to teabags, and the few things to keep out.
DIY compost bin plans · Developed and tested at home for 3 years
Great compost. Rat-resistant, no sludge, no turning.
Build a rodent-resistant compost bin from two ordinary dustbins in an afternoon. Fill the small bin, tip it into the big one, and dig out dark, crumbly compost every spring.
Get the plans · £5.99
£5.99 instant PDF download on Etsy. Build Guide, Composting Guide, fridge sheet and bin calculator.
New: see the bins in 3DSpin them round, lift the lids and look underneath.
Rodent resistant
No turning
Fits a patio or driveway
Beginner friendly
- 3 yearsof testing on my own driveway
- 2 hoursto build, no woodwork needed
- 6 mmlargest hole, to help keep rats out
- 0 turningthe tip does the mixing
No turning, everHelps keep rats outFits a patio or drivewayLess than £40 in partsBuilt in an afternoonCompost every springTwo ordinary dustbinsAir tubes through the middle
Quick check
Can I compost it?
Standing at the bin with an egg box in your hand? Type in anything from teabags to Christmas trees, or tap a common one. Plain answers, no jargon.
Egg boxesYes please
Compost gold. Tear them up and they soak up wet peelings nicely. Plastic or foam boxes stay out.
Want the full list on your fridge?Get the free sheet
Covers hundreds of everyday items, plants and materials, based on advice from the RHS, Garden Organic and three years of my own composting. See the full A to Z list.
A proven method, made small
Fill. Tip. Wait. Enjoy.
Moving compost from one bay to the next is how the big wooden systems on allotments mix and air it. Twin Tip does the same thing in two sealed dustbins, with air tubes running through the middle.
- 1
Fill
Peelings, plain card and garden waste go in the small bin as you use them.
- 2
Tip
Three quarters full? Tip it into the big bin. That mixes and airs everything in one go.
- 3
Wait
Aim to fill both bins by the end of September, then give them the winter off.
- 4
Enjoy
In March or April, dig out dark, crumbly compost for beds, pots and veg.
Your compost year
A rule of thumb, not a deadline. You can't really get it wrong.Rest
Dig out
Fill and tip
Rest over winter
Why people give up on composting
Rats, sludge and turning. Sorted.
Sound familiar?Rats got into the last bin.
A rodent-resistant compost bin
Solid bases, clip-down lids and no hole bigger than 6 mm. It helps keep rats and mice out, even on a driveway.
Sound familiar?It turned into slimy sludge.
Air tubes through the middle
Perforated tubes cross the bin at different heights, so air reaches the centre where it usually runs short.
Sound familiar?There's never time to turn it.
No fork, a minute a day
Add scraps as you go. The tip does the mixing, so there's no turning and no mess.
See it in 3D
Turn it round. See why it works.
Grab the bins and spin them. Press Show benefits and, as each part comes into view, you'll see what it does for you. Tip them up to see the drain holes, and lift the lids to see the air tubes cross inside.
Loading the 3D view…
Drag to turn. Scroll or pinch to zoom.
Exact hole positions and measurements are in the Twin Tip build guide.
Free download
Never guess what goes in the bin again.
A one-page printable for the fridge door. It's the thing that gets the whole household composting, not just you. Pop your email in and it's yours straight away.
What you get
DIY compost bin plans you can follow with a cuppa in hand.
- Step-by-step build plansExact measurements, clear drawings and a quick check after every step. No woodworking skills needed.
- A composting guide for beginnersWhat goes in, when to tip and how to use your compost.
- Bin calculator and fridge sheetUsing different bins? The calculator spreadsheet works out every measurement for you. Plus a printable fridge sheet for the kitchen.
- Parts listTwo dustbins and one length of pipe, under £40 all in. Add a drip tray under each bin if they stand on paving.
Get the plans · £5.99£5.99 instant PDF download from my Etsy shop.
Twin Tip is a set of plans and guides, not a ready-made bin. You build it yourself from widely available dustbins.
Sample pages. 49 pages across the two guides, with photos, drawings and a check after every step.
Compare compost bins
Twin Tip vs other compost bins.
Every type of bin has its place. Here's how they stack up for a typical UK garden.
| Option | Space needed | Keeps rodents out | Turning | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open heap | Medium | No | With a fork | Free |
| Plastic bin with open base | Small | Limited, open underneath | With a fork, or slow | Low |
| Wooden three-bay system | Large | No, open slats | Moving between bays | High |
| Compost tumbler | Small to medium | Usually good | Rotating by hand | Often £80 or more |
| Twin Tip | Small, two dustbins | Sealed, 6 mm holes | None, just tip | Under £40 in parts |
Costs are rough guides at typical UK prices and will vary.
From the compost shed
Composting guides, in plain English.
New guides are on the way. Join the list to hear about them, or follow Twin Tip on Pinterest for composting ideas and photos.
Why is my compost slimy? And how to fix it
Feeding hungry tomatoes with home compost
Tested at home for three years
From sludgy mess to great compost.
I'm Matt. My wife and I have been keen gardeners for about 16 years, with an allotment for the last six. We were forever buying bags of compost that were expensive or disappointing.
My first go, in two free dustbins on the driveway, was a sludgy mess. I didn't want to spend £80 to £200 on a fancy bin, I didn't want to keep turning it, and with rats at the bird feeders it had to keep them out. So I built my own, and by happy accident found that tipping a small bin into a big one mixes the compost for you.
Three years of testing later, it's ready every spring, feeds our veg beds and my hungry tomatoes, and we no longer buy bags of garden centre compost.
"Two dustbins, one length of pipe and an afternoon. The clever part is how you use it."
From my driveway
Built in an afternoon.
These are the bins in the Build Guide, photographed step by step as I made them. Tape, a drill, a hole saw and a length of pipe. That's really all it takes.
From the blog
Notes from the compost bin.
Straight answers to the things people ask me most, from keeping rats out to getting compost that's ready every spring. See all posts
Questions
Composting questions, answered.
Do compost bins attract rats?
They can, especially open heaps and bins without a base, or when cooked food, meat or dairy goes in. Twin Tip uses sealed bins with clip-down lids and holes no bigger than 6 mm, which helps keep rats and mice out. Keeping cooked food, meat and dairy out of the bin matters too.
How do I keep rats out of my compost bin?
Start with a bin that has a solid base and a lid that clips shut, and keep every opening small. Twin Tip's build plans show exactly where to drill 6 mm air and drain holes in two ordinary dustbins so air gets in but rodents struggle to. No bin can be guaranteed to keep out a determined rat, but this design is built to be rodent resistant.
How do you start a compost bin as a beginner?
Put a layer of torn cardboard in the bottom, then add fruit and veg peelings, plain cardboard and garden waste as you use them. Don't let any one type pile up, and cover fresh scraps with a few leaves or some torn card. That's really all there is to it.
What can I put in a compost bin?
Fruit and veg peelings, coffee grounds, rinsed eggshells, plain cardboard, egg boxes, toilet and kitchen roll tubes, grass clippings (a little at a time), leaves and soft garden trimmings. Keep out meat, fish, dairy, cooked food, citrus, pet waste, diseased plants and perennial weed roots.
Do I need to turn my compost?
Not with Twin Tip. Tipping the small bin into the big bin mixes and airs the compost for you. The Royal Horticultural Society describes moving compost from one bin to another as the most thorough way to turn it.
How long does compost take in the UK?
It depends on the season and what goes in. Garden compost usually takes from several months to a couple of years. With Twin Tip, a simple rule of thumb is to fill both bins by the end of September and check the compost in March or April.
What do I need to build a Twin Tip compost bin?
Two ordinary lidded dustbins (50 litres and 110 litres), one 3 metre length of 32 mm plastic waste pipe, a drill and a hole saw. It takes about two hours and needs no woodworking skills.
How is Twin Tip different from a tumbler or three-bay compost bin?
Like a three-bay system, it moves compost from one bin to the next to mix it, but in two sealed dustbins that take up far less space and help keep rodents out. Unlike a tumbler, there's no heavy drum to rotate, and it costs much less to build.
Can I compost on a patio or driveway?
Yes. Twin Tip uses sealed dustbins with a solid base, so it works on paving as well as soil or gravel. Standing each bin on a drip tray stops any liquid staining the ground.
Can I buy a Twin Tip bin?
Twin Tip is a set of DIY build plans and a composting guide, so you build the bin yourself from widely available dustbins. The guides are available now as a £5.99 instant PDF download from my Etsy shop.
Build your own Twin Tip.
The step-by-step Build Guide, the Composting Guide, a fridge sheet and a bin calculator. £5.99 as an instant download.
Get the plans · £5.99Not ready yet? Get the free fridge sheet and composting tips by email.