How does it work?

The hungry bin is a clean, simple and easy way to dispose of organic waste using compost worms. The hungry bin is designed to create an ideal living environment for compost worms. The worms convert the organic waste into worm castings and a nutrient-rich liquid, which are both high-quality fertilisers. It is easy to collect both the castings and liquid produced by the hungry bin.

The hungry bin can process up to 2kg (4.5lb) of organic waste per day. The waste is placed into the top of the bin, where the worms eat it as it softens and begins to decompose. The compost worms used in the bin are a different species from earthworms. Compost worms are surface feeders and prefer to live in organic material or mulch. They do not burrow into the soil like earthworms.

As the compost worms eat the waste in the bin, they convert it into worm castings. The castings are pushed down through the bin and compressed by the weight of fresh castings above them. The compressed castings are retained in the lower part of the bin, where they can be simply and easily removed when needed for use as plant food or soil conditioner. In normal operation, the castings will need to be removed from the bin once every two to six months.

Liquid drains down through the bin and passes through a filter housed in the floor, into the drip tray. This liquid is an ideal fertiliser. It is best to dilute the liquid with water before feeding it to plants, as it is very concentrated. A good dilution ratio is 1 part worm liquid to 10 parts water.