Ever since we started composting in 2008 at our previous house, we’ve enjoyed it—free fertilizer, reusing kitchen scraps, and a gentle nudge to eat more compostable foods. Our composting efforts, however, were limited by the small DIY compost container we built a few years back. We did eventually add a second bin, but neither of them compared to the larger systems you see in stores and magazines.
Back when we made our original bin, I had intended to build a more permanent system out of shipping pallets after seeing instructions online, but hunting down and hauling bulky pallets felt like more than I wanted to take on at the time. So I started with a simple bin and planned to upgrade later. A few years passed, and when our patio supplies arrived on pallets it finally gave me the push I needed to build a pallet compost bin. It took us a few months to decide on the right location, but we settled on a hidden corner of the yard that didn’t disrupt the landscaping and was convenient to access without sitting right against the house. The only thing we sacrificed was some groundcover ivy and a few weeds—no big loss.
Clearing the ivy revealed a few unexpected treasures, like an old frisbee and a plastic toy tire. After a little more work with a shovel and rake, I had a flat, square patch of soil ready for the new bin. Some resources suggested placing an extra pallet on the ground as a base. Others warned that a pallet base can make turning the compost difficult, with tools catching on slats, and some recommended a slanted base to collect nutrient-rich “compost tea.” I decided to keep things simple and use the flat patch of dirt as a base for now.
I gathered three shipping pallets that had been stored in our basement, a few 2″ wood screws, an electric screwdriver, gloves, and a shovel. Since we already owned everything, the project cost essentially nothing. The build itself only took about 20 minutes, which was a pleasant surprise given my usual expectations that small projects will take forever and throw a few curveballs.
I dug a shallow trench about four inches deep at the back of the compost area so one pallet could sit securely. Then I stood a pallet in the trench for the back and placed the second pallet to form one side. I oriented the pallet so the side with the more closely spaced slats faced inward to reduce compost spilling through while still allowing for airflow—air circulation helps decomposition and minimizes odors.
To join the pallets I drilled three screws—one near the top, one in the middle, and one near the bottom—connecting the two pieces. Many people use zip ties for this step, which also work well, but I had screws on hand and preferred the added sturdiness. The pallets were already fairly stable, so the screws were mostly insurance.
I repeated the process with the third pallet to form the other side. Some tutorials suggest using a fourth pallet as a hinged front door for easier access and a fifth pallet for a base. I didn’t have hinges handy and wanted to keep the build simple, so I initially planned to leave the front open. Because the bin sits on a slight slope, however, I improvised by fitting a scrap piece of wood across the open front and holding it in place with two leftover stakes. It stays secure and can be removed easily when it’s time to turn the pile or harvest finished compost.
As the pile grows, I can imagine upgrading the bin by stacking additional boards or adding taller stakes or poles to increase capacity. For now the basic three-sided pallet box with a removable front works well.
To start the compost I added a layer of dry brown leaves from the yard. We’re still novices after several years of backyard composting, but the process tends to be forgiving. In our old setup we kept a lidded container under the sink for kitchen scraps and emptied it into the bin twice a week, stirring occasionally. We also kept a printed list of compostable items by the sink to help decide what to add. While we don’t claim to be experts, we’ve never had problems with odor, and composting has mostly been an easy, low-maintenance endeavor for us.
If you have concerns about using pallets that might have been chemically treated, a safe approach is to use the resulting compost for non-edible plants—flower beds and ornamental shrubs—rather than for herbs or vegetables. That’s the route we plan to take out of an abundance of caution. We’re late in the season to expect much usable compost this year, but next season we hope to have plenty of free fertilizer to spread around the yard. Eventually the surrounding ivy may grow back and help the bin blend in, or we might stain or paint the pallets a subtle color to integrate them with the landscape.
Do you use a pallet compost bin or another composting system? How has it worked for you? Any tips for improving airflow, turning frequency, or staging compost materials would be appreciated as we begin this next chapter in our composting journey.