Newer DIY Compost Bin

A few years ago I repurposed some plastic totes that I previously used as a container garden into compost bins. Their time spent outside with the sun beating down on them has made them weak and now, due to my rough handling, majorly cracked. What's a girl with a freezer full of banana peels to do? I made a new compost bin.

This lovely purple compost bin cost me about eleven dollars to make and features a drainage spout so I can collect the compost tea and keep it from making a giant mess on my little porch. I put this bin up on cinder blocks to both elevate it slightly and make room for the drainage spout and a container to collect  the compost tea. For a bit of fun I spray painted one of the blocks with some leftover paint (both blocks would have gotten a makeover, but I ran out of paint).

Here is some more info about the drainage spout: I purchased a 45º PVC elbow and a PVC reducer from the hardware store then drilled a hole in the bottom of my compost bin that was just large enough for the reducer to fit in. The drainage spout fits together with the elbow outside the bin and the reducer inside (the reducer's lip keeps it from falling out). To prevent leakage I put some sealant around the spout as you can see below. I need to figure out a more permanent solution for 'tea' collection, right now I have a glass canning jar under the spout.

Hurrah for compost bins!