Buried trash cans for compost? Any experience?

We are dealing with a fairly large volume of kitchen scraps/garden produce rejects.

I've tried many different ways of composting food scraps, but they all seem to attract critters: raccoons, mice, squirrels. I really can't afford to attract pests and irritate the neighbors. I've tried various small enclosed worm bin contraptions, but they were finicky to keep running; it was easy to get them too wet or too dry, or hot, or cold, or overloaded, etc

I build a large wooden box with a wire mesh bottom full of bedding, and buried food scraps in that. The worms did fine, and could escape any environmental disturbances by moving down into the underlying soil. However, mice still found ways in, raccoons pulled open the cover (and when I strengthened the cover, it became cumbersome and unwieldy to use) and the wood warped to open up new access points.

Now I'm considering building some buried trash can compost bins, like this: https://www.finegardening.com/article/diy-food-scrap-digester-composter I was thinking about having several so that one could rot down completely before being emptied.

I am wondering, however, if they'd go anaerobic inside. Does anyone have any experience with these? Is there are better way?

I think you might be right about the cans possibly going anaerobic. I know we tried composting in 55 gallon barrels and experienced that. Such an awful smell! They had fly screens and corrugated metal roofing so they could breathe but not get rained in, and that still happened. It might be avoidable by making sure you've got plenty of browns. It seems like in ground trash cans would be quite rough on the body to empty the finished compost from. And wouldn't the metal start to rust and deteriorate, leaving you with weird bits of metal stuck in the soil and necessitating replacing the cans? I could be wrong about that.

I wonder if bokashi composting would be a good solution for you? I don't know much about it, but I believe I've seen it suggested as a solution for avoiding critters getting into the compost.

Back in September my local farm store was selling burn bins- basically a galvanized trash can with 1/4" holes in the sides for ventilation.  I bought one because I've been having the same issues you describe, mice and possums.  I inoculated it with some existing compost and have been filling it with smellables (kitchen scraps, etc that would attract vermin in a pile)and it seems to be doing alright.  I imagine you could bury it 1/4 or 1/2 in the ground so worms would have easier access, and the holes are small enough to keep mice out.  Lid fits tight enough that critters haven't been able to pop it off.  Haven't noticed odor issues, although it's been pretty cool the past several months, may be a different story at the height of summer.

Best of luck, and happy new year!

I have tried the buried trashcan.
It filled up, no worms came, and emptying was an nightmare.

I suggest an above ground container with slits in the bottom for drainage,and in the sides for aeration.
Add composting worms , but don't worry about them.
Blend food waste and use lots of browns.

I built a compost digester in heavy clay soil from a container made out of heavy galvanized mesh, to support my banana tree.  It's working well as a composter (I'm not sure the banana tree roots reached it in its first season though) but it did tend to go anaerobic in really wet weather.  I'm not convinced that's a huge problem since it's not in a place where I have to smell it:

https://permies.com/t/138578/permaculture-projects/Finally-built-compost-digester-planted

Many years ago I also built a couple of "rat digester" from large PVC pipe for the dead animals my dogs left all over the yards.  It's in an out-of-the-way corner of the yard (where it feeds a tree I like)  because it's uncovered, potentially stinky, and may attract flies.  The first one did have some larvae crawl out, so I build another one really tall (opening is about head height) and never had any problems or bug issues with it.

https://permies.com/t/42292/super-easy-rat-composter


There are several other relevant links and photos re: compost digesters in the rat digester thread.

I tend to add items with higher N value (shrimp heads, meat scraps, high protein stuffs) later until the pile got hot. Put them in the center and no animal attempted to reach in there at 150F. In such high heat, they got covered with thermaphilic bacteria, being broken down quickly by the next turning.

I've made rat-proof compost containers by drilling holes in bottom and sides of a galvanized trash can.  First prototype I kept the botton on, just put 3/4 in holes in it.   Can was not buried. Worms and other decomposers got in ok, but kept rodents out. To empty, I would knock the whole thing over on its side.

After 5 or 6 years, the bottom rusted out, so I pried it off and instead dug a shallow pit so bottom 6 inches are buried. I think if a rat really tried it could dig it's way under, but none have bothered, even though they do try to dig under our nearby garage.  I suspect the contents of the bottom part are too damp for shelter and too rotted to be an attractive food source.

When I started composting dog poop, I popped the bottom off a smaller galvanized can, and dug a pit about 2 ft deep, basically using the can as a liner/lid for the pit. I don't empty this ever, just pull up the bottomless can, bury the waste, and start a new pit.