h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It is interesting you should mention using old wooden palets(sp?) to make a compost box as adds to the re-cycling aspect of it. As you mentioned local authorities sometimes sell cheap compost bins but your idea of using a dustbin would be good if have an older one not in use anymore. Since homemade compost doesn't come in thick plastic bags like commercial compost it has another advantage as well as cost saving, and saves on transport miles too!

Hi Strangely Strange ,

When I worked at the garden centre we used to burn the pallets when we got too many. I came up with the idea of offering them to staff and customers to build compost bins at home. It worked well and meant we was recycling as well as helping the environment.

All we asked was the staff or customer to make a donation into the Marie Curie collection box of however much they could afford.

A couple of years down the line and it was all stopped, because the company's supplying the pallets with all our stock on wanted them back to re-use again. If we didn't give them back because we gave them away, the company would fine us.

Pallets are useful for making compost bins, they are not so readily available though. You can still get them from some places.

Nigel