YOLO Compost Tumbler

28/10/2026

When compostable plant-based plastics first came out many years ago, we tossed pieces of a number of these (packaging, cups and containers) into our YOLO Compost Tumbler. They did not compost. While these plant-based plastics can, in theory, compost, this only takes place under industrial conditions.

Interesting insights in this article on Daily Maverick.

"Plant-based plastics fall into two distinct groups: bio-based “drop-in” plastics (Bio-PET) and compostable biopolymers (PLA and PHA).

Bio-PET is derived from sugarcane ethanol rather than crude oil, effectively replacing fossil feedstocks with renewable plant materials. But its final molecular structure is chemically identical to standard, traditional plastic (PET). It behaves like conventional plastic: recyclers can melt and reprocess it, but if it ends up on a roadside or buried in a landfill, it will exist there for centuries. It cuts fossil carbon at the source, but it does nothing to prevent plastic pollution.

On the other hand, PLA and PHA are made from fermented plant starches, like corn or cassava, and can naturally break down into water, biomass and carbon dioxide, but only under specific conditions.

In reality, most PLA and PHA only break down properly under industrial composting conditions. This means they need sustained temperatures of 58°C to 60°C, specific humidity levels, and regulated aerobic microbial activity to break down. Home composting cannot provide these conditions."

What about industrial composting, you ask?
"Although compostable plastics such as PLA offer green alternatives, the country possesses virtually no municipal industrial composting facilities capable of handling post-consumer packaging at scale."

With roughly 440,000 tonnes of plastic leaking into South Africa’s environment every year, plant-based packaging is often championed as an eco-friendly cure-all. But as Council for Scientific and Indu…

19/10/2026

🌿 INDIGENOUS PLANT FAIR 🌿

We will be at the Indigenous Plant Fair again at the end of the month at the Garden Route Botanical Garden. We'll have our YOLO Compost Tumbler and Garden Sieve there.

📅 *30 Oct – 1 Nov*
🎟️ *FREE Entrance*
🕒 *Times:*
• Fri: 09:00 – 16:00
• Sat: 09:00 – 16:00
• Sun: 09:00 – 14:00
🌱 *What’s on offer:*
• 5,000+ plants & over 400 indigenous species
• Expert gardening talks & art workshops
• Food, craft stalls & dedicated Kids' Zone
📍 *Venue:* Garden Route Botanical Garden, George
🍃 Bring your family and friends for a fantastic day out in the garden!

We look forward to see you there.

16/10/2026

6 Reasons to tumble: #6 Harvesting your compost

Extracting mature compost from the bottom of a heap or through the door of a static bin requires effort.

With your YOLO Compost Tumbler, emptying the contents is child's play. If your unit is wall-mounted or raised, park a wheel barrow below, open the lid and turn the drum to empty the contents into the barrow. If your unit stands on the floor, like mine, place a tarp underneath to catch the contents that you can drag to where they'll be used. Or, do as I do by setting the wide opening at an angle to shovel material into a bag for later use.

12/10/2026

6 Reasons to tumble: #5 Effort & accessibility

Getting into a static bin to turn the contents is challenging, if not near impossible, and turning a heap can be back-breaking work.

The drums of your YOLO Compost Tumbler are easy to turn using the handholds to turn the drum towards you. The internal fins are designed to tumble the contents, thoroughly mixing fresh material into the existing contents. Three or four turns is all it takes.

05/10/2026

6 Reasons to tumble: #4 Speed of composting
It can take a year or two to get finished compost from a static bin or compost heap.

Turning the drum a couple of times a week mixes and aerates the contents, which accelerated decomposition. With a YOLO Compost Tumbler, you're emptying a drum of completed, nutrient-rich compost every two months. Use this compost to enrich flower beds, fruit trees, raised beds and pot plants throughout the year. Too much compost for your needs? Gift it to friends and community gardening projects.

28/09/2026

6 Reasons to tumble: #3 Getting an even mix

Carbon and nitrogen. These are the key elements in organic materials: nitrogen-rich cuttings and peelings from the kitchen, and carbon-rich dry materials like crushed, dry leaves, wood shavings and cardboard that also help to maintain the moisture balance of compost.

In an unturned heap or bin, materials do not mix.

By tumbling the contents of a YOLO Compost Tumbler, the materials are evenly mixed, distributing nutrients, moisture and air throughout the mix.

21/09/2026

6 Reasons to tumble: #2 Oxygen & aeration

Composting is an aerobic process and for fresh air to be incorporated into the materials, they need to be turned and mixed.

In a static bin, materials are piled on top of each other. There is little to no airflow, and no mixing. The materials compact.

The action of turning the drums of the YOLO Compost Tumbler mixes the contents to aerate the materials, making oxygen available to the microorganisms that do the composting work.

17/09/2026

6 Reasons to tumble: #1 Turning the compost

Whether a static bin or compost heap, composting success is compromised when the pile is not turned. Turning a heap takes effort and space and should be done at least three to four times a year (every 1-2 months would be ideal).

With a YOLO Compost Tumbler, every time you turn the drum, the contents are turned and mixed. Little effort. Lots of convenience.

16/09/2026

We are pleased to see that some municipalities are offering static, plastic compost bins to households at no cost to encourage people to compost their organic waste from the kitchen and garden. Collectively, this has a big impact on reducing the amount of waste that households put out on trash day every week.

We fully support all composting activities from piles to bins, worms and bokashi, and acknowledge that there are pros and cons to every method from cost, to effort, accessibility and speed of composting.

For us personally, and the reason why we started YOLO Compost Tumbler almost 10 years ago, is that compost tumbling ticks our requirements for a convenient composting method that works.

Over the next posts, we'll look at our top 6 reasons to tumble.

10/09/2026

Receiving a photo from a YOLO customer of their first load of YOLO compost is, to us, like receiving a photo from a friend of a newborn baby.

Georgina's photo of her first load of compost from her YOLO Compost Tumbler gives us a warm and fuzzy feeling. We can smell that earthy scent and imagine running our hands through this nutrient-rich heap. Beautiful!

Georgina is a natural YOLO-er and her first load of compost is perfect. We wish her many, many years of delightful loads of YOLO compost and a bounty in her garden. 🌱