AN ORGANIC GARBAGE DISPOSAL UNIT
Getting rid of kitchen waste can be a simple, effective and inexpensive process with this item, including diagram and how to build it.
Getting rid of kitchen waste can be a simple, effective,
and inexpensive process, with...
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We've Found Independence... With a Small Town Garbage Route!
September/October 1978
...
by Byron Brown
Even if you're not especially skilled at home projects, you
can make and install—in half a day—a garbage
disposal that uses no power . . . won't clog your septic
tank or drainage field . . . costs under $20 . . . and
turns out a useful product.
It seems our household always produces some kitchen waste
that we can't feed to the chickens, barn cats, or pigs. But
when we tried burying the "leftover leftovers" out in the
garden, some varmint would always dig them up . . . while
burn ing the garbage caused our oil-drum incinerator to
clog up.
Fortunately, I recalled an article about composting that
I'd read back in the 40's. The piece had described a
homemade composter consisting of an 18"-diameter clay drain
tile, three-fourths buried in the ground, with a top and
bottom added. That article's author said he ran his
disposal on earthworms, but—since our animals consume
all of our scraps except for eggshells, citrus and banana
peels, and small bones-the useful wigglers haven't (yet!)
been lured into my version.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: You may be able to attract worms and speed
up the decaying process by layering your kitchen garbage
with an equal mix of freshly cut green , plants and chopped
dried leaves ... a handful of blood meal, available from
most .garden centers . .. and a thin coating of 'soil. And
sprinkle a little water over it occasionally.]
In practice, we have two tile composters. It takes about a
year to fill one, at which time we simply switch to the
other. Then, when the second one is full, the contents of
the first have decomposed into a rich humus and are ready
to be emptied on our garden plot.
HOW TO BUILD IT
The initial step in constructing a homestead garbage
disposal is to locate an 18 "diameter clay drainage tile.
The units can be found at building supply yards where
bricks, cement blocks, and such are sold (if you plan to
put a brick bottom in your disposal, you can buy the
materials to do so at the same time).
