The claim
This rollable tumbler composter aims to cut down the time it takes the composting process to be completed by easily allowing you to mix the compost within the sphere by rolling it around. Due to the roll-ability the compost is also easily transported around your garden.
How does it work?
The Rollable Recycled CompoSphere Composting Tumbler works by easily allowing you to mix your compost throughout the process by rolling it around your garden within a ‘hamster ball’ type sphere, causing it to intensify and speed up. With gripped ridges and a flat base, the Composting Tumbler, in theory, is easily rolled and once it settles on the flat base cannot roll away.
How did it work for me?
Without any interaction, my compost heap would stay in the same state that it started in while I tended to be the one getting hot and bothered, minus the decomposing I hope. So I have often spent hours forking up my compost, in the hope that it speeds up decomposition. However this never seems to have the required effect. Therefore, when I saw the CompoSphere rollable tumbler composter, I thought I had struck composting gold.
The tumbler allowed me to mix up my compost quickly and easily, even with a brief moment of fun reminiscing over my misspent youth. Rolling this device around the garden can, not only get your children move involved with gardening and waste management, but more importantly take some strain off your shoulders. It will certainly tire them out as the more compost there is, the heavier it gets. You may even be providing the next world’s strongest man, as a full 315L CompSphere is no easy feat to move across flat gardens (nevermind slight inclines). However, regardless of the difficulties in mixing the compost after it becomes ¾ full, it is still an improvement on my previous methods. The flat bottom means it will not roll away, unless a child has left it on its side and you find it the next morning through the greenhouse!
The rolling means that, not only does it mix the compost, but also makes it easier to transport it to the required area. However I found the opening quite small and it was therefore not a speedy process emptying the tumbler.
The Claim
Space savers seems to have a reputation for being slightly more expensive, but of better quality that many lower end models – but this one is a very reasonable price. This Water Butt is 250 litres in capacity and is ideal for collecting rainwater.
How does it work?
The butt is connected via tubing to the downpipe on the gutter, and collects rainwater as it runs through. It will store up to 250 litres, and has a simple tap at the bottom to fill watering cans etc. It can be used with a standard water butt stand, and is fairly slimline so that it will fit into many tight spaces.
How did it work for me?
I know how important it can be to have a good storage device for my rainwater. Previously I have had a 100 litre model, which filled up very quickly and didn’t last long when the rain was pouring down in the spring.
This model looks much more impressive, and you can tell that it has been well made, much thicker than some of the cheaper, flimsy models. It does seem to fill up well and the water lasts much longer than my older model.
The only issue I can see is that it is a little too slim in that it could blow over in high winds, so I am putting it behind the garage where it is sheltered. Make sure you use a good base as well – the weight of all that water means you need something strong below, and you need a decent gap to get your watering can underneath!
The Claim
The Watergreen is a syphon that allows you to remove greywater from sinks and baths and put it into your water butt or storage device.
How does it work?
The WaterGreen Syphon Pump is simply a 3.5m tube with a built in syphon primer bulb and a standard hosepipe fitting on the end. You just put one end in the bath and the other connected to a hosepipe, through your bathroom window. The water can then be syphoned off into a water butt or used straight on the garden.
How did it work for me?
For those of us on water meters, saving water can be really worthwhile. This device helps move your greywater to where it can be reused in a straightforward and practical manner, at a price point much cheaper than an expensive drainage system. It’s also ideal for those who just want to save their water and ‘do your bit’ in times of drought.
It might be a bit fiddly to get used to sticking a hose out of your window, but it really does work better than other techniques, and the syphon works really well. As long as the end of the pipe is a few feet below the bath in terms of height, the water will drain away in a few minutes. I found that this takes a bit of getting used to, but it does work quite well, especially out of the first floor window.
Who is this going to be useful for? Those of us with gardens to water, frequent users of the bath and those on water meters are going to see the payoff the most. And it is the sort of product you have to make a bit of an effort with – not an install and forget bit of tech, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be really useful.
It is advised not to use the water on edible crops or to store it for too long, as it can start to smell in warmer weather.
