Make sure you got some holes in the bottom of the bins if you want to do regular composting. Composting needs some moisture, but not soaking like a container without holes can leave you.

It will break down pretty slow with just wood and dirt. Which is fine if you want a cold pile. Or are aiming for some hugelkulter kind of action. You would need to mix in some greens to get it to break down quicker/hotter to a more regular compost.

Or, don't put holes in the bins. Keep it just wood in them and keep the lids on. Keep them dry. nd then use them as mulch as needed in your landscaping.

Those bins are not designed for composting.

Would be more efficient to purchase a bag of compost (if you want compost) and use the chips as mulch.

These bins are 18 gallons each. I have 8.

I've read you can use them and let time do it's thing however, what can be used in place that's up to 144 gallons then?

Did you read wood chips in tubs may require 5-10 years to compost?

you may have great mulch, but not bin compost materiak.

I may just do a thin spread on my backyard where it's thin. Don't care if sod grows on that area or not and let nature do whatever for better or worse. You are correct looking back it looks more like pulverized sawdust for much.

You could dig it in where you want a new bed after 2 or more years or set up retainer and dump it in. It needs moisture to rot.

That looks like some good stuff! It might make good mulch.

If you pile it, it will rot - sooner or later 🙂

I've left shredded yard waste - mostly wood chips, in plastic bins outside, and the stuff underneath was broken down into humus after a few months - it needs some moisture to do that, but not too much or it can get anaerobic and stink.

Also - where I am, it's hot most of the year.

Do you want to compost, or do you just want to compost that? I make my paths out of wood stuff and let it break down, but if you want to compost, that sawdust would make a nice, enriching pad around compost bins or other projects.