Great! To get started immediately, it is crucial to add plenty of shredded and easily digestible waste. Add shredded paper for good moisture regulation, and woodchips for good air circulation. Below are some important points to ensure you get off to a flying start.
How much waste should I use for composting?
To begin, it is necessary to establish a good base layer. Without this base layer, the heating process will not get started. The base layer (also known as the critical mass) is 40 cm deep, reaches approximately to the height of the harvesting hatch, and consists of chopped waste that is easy to digest, mixed with shredded paper and woodchips. Therefore, always ensure a good minimum amount of waste, consisting of sufficiently mixed waste.
Depending on how much waste you have at home, there are two ways to build up the base layer:
Option 1.
A patient start - Build up the base layer gradually with little waste
Fill the HOTBIN gradually as you would with a normal compost bin: add the chopped waste and mix it with paper scraps and woodchips. To avoid having to open the HOTBIN too often (resulting in heat loss), we recommend collecting the waste in a small bin first so that you can 'feed' the HOTBIN in slightly larger portions. You are therefore filling the waste gradually.
Option 2.
A quick start - Build up the base layer in one go with an abundance of household, garden, and kitchen waste
Add the base layer (a critical mass of approximately 40 cm) in one go. Here too, you use organic waste mixed with paper scraps and woodchips. Tip: although old compost is good for adding bacteria to your first layer, it contains insufficient nutrients from which the bacteria can extract energy to multiply. Therefore, add plenty of fresh waste so that the bacteria have enough nutrients to digest.
What is a good base layer for my compost heap?
Long story short: plenty of chopped, easily digestible waste that is well mixed. This type of waste is quickly digested by bacteria, causing them to generate heat faster. Waste that is harder to digest, on the other hand, produces longer-lasting and sustainable heat. Simply put, for us, this can be compared to eating a chocolate bar for a quick energy boost versus eating a banana for long-lasting energy.
Examples of easy (and fast) to compost waste:
- Vegetable peelings
- Fruit peels
- Nettles and comfrey
- Chicken manure
- Blood and bone meal
- Grass clippings*
*Grass clippings are easy for bacteria to digest. However, avoid large quantities of grass to prevent a soggy mass. Do you want to know more about composting grass? Read more here.
Tip: also watch our video on how to apply the base layer.
What causes a poor base layer?
If you use too much hard-to-digest waste, it results in a poor base layer. To prevent this, we advise you to follow the tips below:
- Woodchips - Dose the use of woodchips. They generally have little nutritional value for the bacteria. Furthermore, woodchips are primarily important for creating airflow in the HOTBIN. Therefore, always add them together with other organic waste and use the correct proportions.
- Old compost - Adding a few handfuls of old compost is fine, but there is little point in adding large amounts. Many of the nutritional values have already been used up, which means it only has limited added value.
- Twigs - Before you start the base layer, you can optionally add a few twigs. However, make sure that the entire base layer does not consist of twigs.
- Leaves - Leaves are difficult to break down and often have a protective waxy outer layer. Adding shredded leaves is possible, as long as you create a good balance with many other types of waste that are easy to digest.
- Paper scraps - Only use the recommended amount/ratio of paper or cardboard in combination with fresh waste. Paper scraps have no nutritional value for bacteria but can be beneficial for moisture balance.
Advice for a successful heated composting process after creating your base layer:
-
Wood and paper scraps - Mix this continuously with the organic waste you add.
-
Avoid the lasagna method - Although the lasagna method is recommended in the traditional composting process; the HOTBIN is more about the Bolognese sauce. Stacking waste in the HOTBIN can cause problems with the airflow process. Therefore, always mix the woodchips and paper well with the other organic waste. In this way, oxygen continues to circulate and you keep the moisture percentage under control, preventing a soggy mass.
- Mixing - Never mix the entire contents of the HOTBIN unless necessary. If you do, you are simply mixing cold composted material with hot material, causing the entire mass to cool down.
- Never add only one type of material - A mix of shredded waste with varying digestibility is best.
- Every HOTBIN is different - This has primarily to do with the waste you feed the HOTBIN. Bit by bit, you will get to know your HOTBIN and can determine, for example, if more woodchips are needed. Only by experimenting a little will you find out how the HOTBIN reacts to the type of waste you use at home.
- Is it warm enough? - Some waste materials may only be added once the HOTBIN has reached a temperature of 40-60 degrees Celsius.
Should I use the refillable water bottle?
Bacteria need at least a little heat to wake up and digest the waste. This is especially important when it is really cold outside. Is the internal temperature of the HOTBIN lower than 15 degrees Celsius? Then use the hot water bottle. Note: the refillable water bottle should only be used when there is plenty of easily digestible waste present. Is the internal temperature of the HOTBIN higher than 15 degrees Celsius? Then the refillable water bottle has a negligible effect on the temperature. Before use: follow the instructions on the label.
