The Best Guide for the WD6 Area

The winner of the Compost Awareness Week roadshow competition has received her garden goodies.

Ann Bransby, who lives in Potters Bar, was drawn out after answering three composting questions correctly. She won a large clay plant pot with gardening gloves, vegetable and flower seeds, a book, trowel, fork and sieve, as well as some national gardening vouchers.

Ann visited the council's roadshow for Compost Awareness Week, which took place between Sunday 6 and Sunday 12 May, to find out about how she can help the environment whilst working in her garden. Visitors to the roadshow also learnt about the benefits of home composting and the great results that can be achieved by using peat-free composts containing recycled material.

Gemma Godfrey, Community Waste Officer, said: "The roadshow was a great success. We had lots of people visit our stand asking what they could do to improve their compost, so we were able to give out lots of useful information and advice.

"Over one third of the contents of an average UK household dustbin can be home composted, not to mention all the garden waste that can be added to a compost bin. Yet many people still do not recognise how important this is to do."

An average household in Hertsmere could divert an astounding 150kg of organic waste a year from landfill by home composting. When sent to landfill, organic waste breaks down without oxygen, producing methane that contributes to global warming. In our compost bins, with access to air and the correct mix of 'green' and 'brown' material (green is nutrient rich waste, like vegetable peelings and grass cuttings, brown is fibre rich waste, like dry leaves and paper), the waste will break down properly and not produce methane, which is good news for the environment. Because the nutrients can then be put back into the ground instead of lost in landfill, it's also an essential way of maintaining the natural cycle.

Gemma adds: "Home composting is so easy to do - fruit and vegetable peelings, garden waste, eggs shells, egg boxes and even the contents of your vacuum cleaner can all be composted. If everyone composted at home, we could make a huge difference to the environment."

All this waste breaks down naturally to produce a free-of-charge fertiliser which can be used to keep plants and gardens looking green and beautiful - and it even helps soil to retain moisture, which is good news during the hot summer months.

To find out more about home composting go to:
www.compostawarenessweek.org.uk

Article courtesy of Hertsmere Borough Council

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