Do you have a garden? Then you should consider having a compost bin too!
Up to a third of all the rubbish that’s thrown away each year in the UK could be transformed into compost. Just think what a reduction to the amount of rubbish being sent to landfill we could make if we all composted this waste at home!
What goes in...As a general rule you can compost most uncooked kitchen waste such as fruit scraps and vegetable peelings, egg shells, teabags and coffee grounds, but not animal or dairy products.
After 6 – 12 months all this waste could turn into a fantastic free nutritious fertiliser for your flower beds, vegetable plots, hanging baskets and patio planters. So don’t bin your household waste – compost it!
Compost theseLike any recipe, your compost relies on the right ingredients to make it work. You may think that a compost bin is only for your grass cuttings and the odd weed, but you would be wrong. The best compost is made up from a wide variety of everyday waste items from both your home and your garden. On average over 30% of your household waste can be put in a home composter. This waste can be divided into two main types 'GREEN' waste and 'BROWN' waste. Greens are quick to rot and they provide important nitrogen and moisture. Other things you can compost include cardboard egg boxes, scrunched up paper and fallen leaves. These are considered “Browns” and are slower to rot. They provide fibre and carbon and also allow important air pockets to form in the mixture. Crushed eggshells can be included to add useful minerals.
GREEN WASTE
-Raw vegetable peelings
- Fruit waste
- Teabags
- Coffee grounds
- Grass cuttings
- Young annual weeds
- Pond algae & seaweed
- Old flowers
- Spent bedding plants
- Comfrey & Rhubarb leaves
BROWN WASTE
- Egg boxes
- Brown paper bags
- Toilet roll tubes
- Pet hair
- Vacuum cleaner bag contents (only if you have wool carpets!)
- Scrunched up newspaper
- Egg shells
- Cereal boxes
- Sawdust & wood chippings
- Shredded confidential documents
- Dry twigs, leaves and hedge clippings
- Straw and Hay
- Ashes from wood, paper or charcoal
- Wool
- Old natural fibre clothes (eg woolly jumpers or cotton t-shirts - cut into small pieces)
- Tissues, paper towels and napkins (unless they have been in contact with meat, fats, oils or disease)
- Garden prunings
Don't compost these- Meat
- Cooked vegetables
- Dairy products
- Dog or cat poo
- Nappies
Tips for top compost1) Have a caddy in the kitchen to help you get into the composting habit
2) Get a good mix of ‘greens’ (e.g. vegetable peelings) and ‘browns’ (e.g. scrunched up cardboard)
3) In your compost bin, try to create alternating layers of greens and browns – this will help create air pockets for the microbes that break the material down to breathe, and that speeds up the rotting process
4) You can add more even more air by occasionally mixing the compost in the bin with a fork or broom handle
5) Keep it up for 6-12 months, and you’ll have beautiful, rich compost to improve the soil on your plant or vegetable beds – and all for free!
The kit you needIt’s so easy to start composting – and there are some amazing offers on home composting equipment.
- Compost bin – prices start at just £8!
- Kitchen waste caddy – for collecting and carrying scraps from the kitchen
- Compost aerator tool – for mixing your compost to keep it aerated
Where do i go now? There are many types of compost bin available on the market. If you want to look at some then the best place to go is the local DIY store or Garden Centre (Details can be found in the business directory). There is also a very good selection available from internet based gardening websites, these compost bins can vary in size, design and operation. Some garden websites can be found in our shopping section or do a search in Google for 'compost bins'. Hampshire County Council is working with WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) to encourage people throughout the UK to home compost. With this campaign they are subsidising the cost of a compost bin. You can order you bin online at www.recyclenow.com/compost . The website also has plenty of information on composting and other recycling.
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