Recycling - composters
Low cost compost bins now available to
residents
Compost bins can be purchased through the low cost
compost bin scheme. 220 litre compost bins are available for £16,
with 330 litre compost bins available for £19. Residents can
purchase a second bin for just half the cost (buy one get one half
price). Delivery is £5.49 per order.
Other products that can deal with kitchen and garden waste are
also on offer. These include a range of Wormeries, Bokashi units
and kitchen caddies for collecting kitchen waste. To find out more
about the range of units available or to purchase a unit
visit
www.getcomposting.com .
Composting hints and tips
Why
do I need to compost my peelings when they break down in
landfill anyway?
Organic waste that is sent to landfill is unable to decompose
properly because, squashed under all the other waste, it doesn't
have any access to air. So methane is produced, a powerful
greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming.
When you compost your organic waste at home you are not only
providing your garden with a limitless soil improver for plants and
vegetables, but you are doing your bit to reduce global warming
too!
My compost is a moist, lumpy mess, smells rotten and there
are lots of flies in the bin - what's wrong?
A classic mistake made by many first time composters is to use
their new compost bin to get rid of grass cuttings, fruit and
vegetable peelings. On their own you will end up with a sludgy,
smelly mess. Just a little hard work will solve the problem!
Empty the bin and break up any large lumps. Then refill the
bin adding plenty of brown material (see below) and some fresh
greens as you go. Then be patient! It will take a couple of
months to look like it should.
My compost is dry and brown and doesn't seem to
be doing anything - what's wrong?
This usually happens in autumn when the bin is filled with
leaves and plant prunings. Autumn leaves don't produce
enough nitrogen to activate the heat production
process.
How do I make healthy compost?
Gather leaves, water them thoroughly and place in black
plastic sacks, punctured with a fork to allow air to
circulate. After about two years you will have rich leaf
mould, which can be used as a weed suppressant and moisture
retaining mulch or a soil improver.
The green materials contain bacteria that generate the heat
that is required by the process. A healthy compost bin is living
ecosystem, which has a good mix of green and brown materials
providing the perfect conditions for a variety of mini-beasts,
especially worms who do all the hard work.
Things you can add to your compost bin
| Green Materials |
Brown Materials |
| Tea Bags |
Crushed egg shells |
| Grass cuttings |
Corrugated cardboard packaging (ripped into small pieces) |
| Vegetable peelings |
Newspaper (scrunched up) |
| Old flowers |
Toilet & kitchen roll tubes |
| Fruit scraps |
Garden prunings |
| Nettles |
Dry leaves, twigs and hedge clippings |
| Coffee grounds & filter paper |
Straw & hay |
| Spent bedding plants |
Bedding from vegetarian pets |
| Comfrey leaves |
Wool |
| Rhubarb leaves |
Feathers |
| Young annual weeds (e.g. chickweed & speedwell) |
Ashes from wood, paper or lumpwood charcoal |
| Pond algae & seaweed (in moderation) |
Woody clippings |
| |
Cotton threads |
| |
Natural fibre string |
| |
Shredded confidential documents |
| |
Corn cobs & stalks |
| |
Pine needles & cones (slow to compost - don't put too much
in) |