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Reviews

3.2

18 reviews
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This does not work in urban environments

published

We got gifted an urban composter bucket. We put in all organic waste in but after 2 weeks we got maggots and other worms that crept out of the bucket and ate through all our plants in the balcony.
I think composting only works if you have a patch of soil in the backyard.

Purchased in December 2021.

jmbau

jmbauMelbourne

  • 32 reviews

Don’t bother

published

I got this because it was smaller than the Bokashi Bin and I thought it would fit on the kitchen better. It did... but that is all I can find to say about it that is positive. The tap leaked. I contacted the supplier. They said oh, we did have a problem with some of the taps, and sent me another.
I fitted that one (again, carefully) and it was OK for a couple of days and then it also started leaking. I never had that problem with Bokashi Bins which, frankly, worked far better.
This is sitting in my garage until I can steel myself to toss it out, because who needs a compost bin which surrounds itself with a shallow sea of reeking brown liquid on the bench?



Purchased in February 2021.

Krystal

Krystal

  • 2 reviews

Zero Waste!

published

I've been using the urban composter now for a couple of years and my small bins haven't failed me yet. I bought a few of the smaller sized ones to make it manageable for me and they work a treat. I love that I feed the worms in the soil, work on soil structure and reduce my red bin waste. I barely take the bin out to the curb anymore.

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cindy c

cindy cDarwin, NT

  • 3 reviews

Dissapointed

published
Date PurchasedSep 2018
Bear25

Bear25Wollongong

  • 2 reviews

Yet to use

published

I was just reading the comments people were putting, where some had said there was mould, HELLO, mould is good if you went to a class as I did and learnt about it then you would know, also I saw someone else wanted the juice for the garden No not a good idea you don't use the juice as the fertiliser another one who doesn't have a clue, so glad I went to the 2 hour free council talk on this product and can't wait to use it :)

Date PurchasedSep 2018
Hayley P

Hayley PMelbourne

One step closer to zero waste!

published
Date PurchasedSep 2017
Nic_M

Nic_MMelbourne

  • 3 reviews

Easy to fill up. And difficult if you don’t have a big garden

published

Originally we had the seals around the taps on incorrectly. This caused the tap to leak constantly. Taking it apart and paying more attention to the size of the seals stopped this leak forever.

We must have a lot of food wastage as this gets full very often. We don’t have the option to dig up the garden in our current rental. But the liquid we get is great for the garden. especially at the end of an Australian summer and the garden is dry and tired.

Unfortunately this means we throw it away once full.

Date PurchasedJan 2018

Leak and mold

published

We got this bin because of the discount from council, however, it’s a huge disappointment. As many users here, we also experiement leaking from the joint of the tap. On top of that, the bad quality and design of the cover cause moldy as it’s almost impossible to close the bin tightly. Complaint to the council, they advice us to tighten the tap but Im not sure how much more I can tighten it. No one likes to deal with a leaking problem of bokashi bin in their kitchen, It’s disgusting!

We have a The Bokashi Bin, it never give us any unnecessary problem. So much regrets, it properly end up to be an expensive rubbish bin!

Date PurchasedJun 2018

Tap fitting has a constant annoying drip.

published

The product has a leaky tap fitting. This is certainly a design fault that undermines an otherwise good product. Having to apply plumbers tape to make a proper seal on the tap mechanism is less than satisfactory and this defect does not justify the cost of the product. The plastic from which the tap is made, is much softer than the plastic of the internal nut and can be easily cross threaded. Perhaps if the tap was made from the same plastic as the nut, it may be more functional. There were no unpleasant odors at all which was very pleasing.

Date PurchasedMay 2018
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Victoria

VictoriaMelbourne

Not as good as hoped

published
Date PurchasedFeb 2018
Peter S

Peter SMelbourne

  • 2 reviews
  • 1 like

A Very Simple Composter for the Kitchen

published
Date PurchasedSep 2017
L Dally

L DallySydney

  • 8 reviews
  • 2 likes
  • Verified purchase

Great Aussie made product!

published

Bought this great composter online after watching the war on waste. We searched for composting products and this looked amazing. It arrived promptly and we've used it for 2 months. It's easy to use, once you start doing this it's mind blowing to see how much less full the garbage bin is.
Thinking of getting a second one, as we had to wait a few days for the full bin to ferment.

Date PurchasedMay 2017
Gregg

GreggSydney

  • 7 reviews
  • Verified purchase

Been working great for 2 years!

published
Date PurchasedJun 2014
A owner

A ownerSydney, NSW

  • 3 reviews

Waste of money- agreed

published

I agree it is useless as a composer and I use it to transfer waste into my compost bin. Do it daily so it doesn't stink. I used use a ceramic that can be washed in dishwasher and was far better. Don't waste you money on it like I have done.

Monika

MonikaSouth East Queensland, QLD

  • 5 reviews
  • 5 likes

Not very happy

published

My Bokashi bin is leaking which makes a mess in my laundry (smelly). The waste in the bin also starts to get mouldy. A lot of trouble for not much return. I should have read the reviews before I bought the bin. I have used it now for 8 weeks and I am ready to ditch it.

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Lea

LeaMelbourne

Fantastic system that works for our household

published
jameswilliams90gmail.com

jameswilliams90gmail.comAU

  • 2 reviews
  • 5 likes

The Urban Composter worked for me

published

My Urban Composter works really well... I know another reviewer mentioned mould and it's really important that you remove excess moisture from the scraps before you put it in the bin. My tap doesn't leak and I dig the excess into the garden and the remainder is gone in a month or so. The spray keeps the contents smelling fresh and I find that it's cleaner than bokashi (if you've ever spilt it, you'll know what I mean!)
I think it works well on protiens like steak which bokashi doesn't work on

giri

giriAU

  • 8 reviews
  • 4 likes

this is a very expensive piece of plastic

published

The urban composter looks good but it doesn't work. The compost goes mouldy while its still in the bin, despite diligent use of the spray compost accelerator. The tap at the bottom to drain the liquid leaks after only one use, and the liquid that leaks out onto your bench or floor smells and stains.
looks good
doesn't work, the tap leaks, the compost goes mouldy while still in the urbancomposter, even with the use of the accelerator. at around $45 for a small plastic bin, its an expensive bit of plastic. .

3 comments
Urban Composter
Urban Composter
Sue Simmons
Sue Simmons
Mrs_B
Mrs_B

Questions & Answers

Wrightee

Wrighteeasked

i am having trouble with the spray bottle - doesnt seem to want to spray

2 answers
cindy c
cindy c

with out knowing exactly the nature of your spray bottle not sparying I can only say if when you squeeze the trigger and it stops there is a piece of plastic just under the nozzle it should be sitting loosely in the slots of the trigger
If when you squeeze the trigger and nothing is coming out unscrew the nozzle and see if there is any liquid in the tube and check it is not blocked -- also check the nozzle spray unit is not blocked by poking a needle into it and make sure the hole is clear -- also check under the lid and see if the rubber seal is pushed in properly and isnt faulty
if still no luck I would request another one

Bear25
Bear25

I only had a problem of the bottle at the top leaking no problem with it spraying as such.

Kath

Kathasked

Is the composter weather proof? We are in a small apartment and would like it outside on a bench. Kath

1 answer
Bear25
Bear25

It is heavy duty plastic and does come with an airtight lid as air has to be kept to a minimum inside however from the workshop I attended its best that it is not in the hot sun but more so in a cool dark place, hope this helps :)

Heta

Hetaasked

Hi, I have been using the Urban composter for ages and find it is brilliant. I bury the composted food scraps into my vegie garden which is now full of earth worms and very healthy. Unfortunately I live near Parramatta river and happen to be on the route for the river rats to get to the sewer system. I have above ground rat bats, done by professionals, which are attended to bi monthly. Up until 4 weeks ago the rats had never come anywhere near my vegie garden but after throwing out some rotten avocadoes have found tunnels dug into the soil each night to eat the vegies. I now fear they have found a new food source and wont leave the garden alone. I use plenty of accelerator but have now stopped burying scraps into garden. What can I do? Heta

4 answers

While I'm certainly not an expert in your particular situation with rodents which sounds quite unique. Instead I would use what apartment dwellers use, which is a large flower pot filled with soil. The rodents are not going to be able to dig their way up through a pot. If you are concerned about them digging in, then try adding a large paver or some bricks to the top of the pot. Once the compost has broken down you should be able to successfully add the soil to your garden. I hope this helps!

Megan_Michie
Megan_Michie

Hi Heta,

I have had the same problem with rats enjoying my bokashi compost when it was dug into the soil and it did seem to attract them to dig up my veggies too. I think the fruity fermented smell attracts them, and even when humans can't smell it, their sensitive noses can. The rats kind of tunnelled in to dig up the compost in the plant beds. (At one point I wasn't using my bin so washed it out and put it outside my back door - the rats ate through the tap! Presumably they could still smell some juice in the tap.)

I don't think putting it into a pot is going to work - they may not be able to get in, but they will come because they can smell it and then eat whatever they can find nearby - ie your veggies - which is what happened to me. I tried it first with a large plastic pot half buried in soil, and they chewed through the base to get in, so if you are going to try, use a ceramic pot.

The only solution I found was to wait a lot longer for the compost to break down than the instructions say (several months more) - which became impractical because I didn't have somewhere to keep several months of compost or the soil-compost mix, that wasn't attracting the rats. So I buried it very deeply elsewhere in the garden, making sure it was completely covered by a lot of soil - which improves the soil at that spot, but sadly isn't giving your veggies the benefit of the lovely compost. (and I ran out of spots to bury it). Which is a real shame because if it weren't for the rats, it would be a great system, and the compost and liquid are fantastic for the plants and soil.

To be honest I ended up giving up on the composting and the veggie garden for a while because I was so discouraged that everything got eaten by the furry visitors. Eventually my landlord arranged for the rats to be baited and things improved. I am starting up again now at my own new house. I don't have rats here but there are a lot of possums - lets see if I am more successful here.

And another note - after the tap eating incident I had to replace the tap and I bleached the bin to be sure to be rid of any smell when I stored it for a while. There is probably good reason why the instructions say not to use bleach - the next batch didn't work well, but now its going OK again.

Good luck!
Megan

Seajay
Seajay

I use a worm farm/composter. I have fine mesh around the vents on the top tier to stop critters munching through the plastic. I have it raised on a stand as well which makes it hard for vermin to get to it. Compost seems to break down a lot quicker in worm composters than other types of composters.

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