The Speedibin Value Proposition (or, How Come Speedibins Cost So Much?)

So many times, people see a Speedibin, love it, want it, but wonder why it costs so much. Here are the reasons:

Locally made

Speedibin composters are made here in BC Canada, not offshore somewhere, so we can support local workers plus keep an eye on quality. The fabrication shop pays a professional wage. Sadly, the price of materials has gone up recently, like pretty much everything sold in Canada.

Our composter model designed for school gardens, the Scholar, is made near us on Vancouver Island. One Red Seal carpenter is on Denman Island in the Comox Valley and the other carpenter is in Victoria BC. Both are meticulous in their workmanship. We want to make sure that they are compensated properly. And of course, the corrugated metal and the red and yellow cedar have gone up in price.

No middlemen

We don’t sell through retailers as there is just not enough margin for the 30% or more markup that a store would require. We want to keep the price as reasonable as we can. I guess we are a boutique composter business, rather than a commodity supplier to a box store. We only sell through our online store or directly to customers locally here on Vancouver Island.

Good value

We are eager to sell a quality product. A Speedibin composter will most likely be the last composter you will need to buy. If you do the math, a $619 composter will be $2.06 a month for 25 years, so an upfront cost, yes, but ultimately very good value. I would rather buy a good quality product and enjoy it for decades, rather than buy something cheap, be frustrated using it, and after a few years truck it off to the dump and buy another. If you are looking at Speedibins, you are most likely the kind of person who wants a quality product that will last. If you need pruners, for example, you will probably seek out good quality ones that would make you happy for years.

Also, Speedibins are metal so when they eventually succumb to the inevitable, they can be recycled. Plastic compost bins are often made of recycled material but don’t have the mobius loop logo and usually end up in the dump after a few years. My dental hygienist said that she has a service that picks up their organic waste for $30 a month. So in under two years she could be saving money with a Speedibin. And she wouldn’t have to buy compost! And if you have “free” curbside pick up for your organics, know that your taxes are paying the ongoing costs for those big noisy trucks running around your neighborhood, as well as a crew and a huge compost facility with leachate control and machinery and crew. Managing all those organics takes money; they don’t magically disappear.

Composting know-how

One advantage to our boutique shopping experience is that we can help with any composting advice. If you are near the Comox Valley, you are welcome to come over to our place in Merville and I can show you how we make compost in our bin and answer any questions you can come up with. Or give us a shout. We love talking compost!

Well thought out design

Speedibins are designed to be super easy to use. The large lid makes it convenient to add fresh scraps. The front door slides up to easily remove finished compost. A perforated metal sheet on the bottom allows microbes, worms and water to transfer but keeps out rats. The aeration holes near the bottom use the chimney effect: hot air rises. The lid keeps rain from leaching out nutrients and keeps the moisture in the bin. When I lift the lid of our bin, it almost looks like it is raining in there. And there are no gaps more than ¼ inch so even mice can’t get in. All this makes using a Speedibin a pleasure!

Our goal is to help you make compost conveniently at home and we sincerely hope that a Speedibin will make that safe and easy and good value. Feed the soil microbes that feed the plants that feed us!