Consider composting
| Published: 20th September 2007 21:55 |
CONSIDER COMPOSTING
What you should, and shouldn't, put in your compost bin
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 these
- Raw vegetable peelings
- Fruit waste
- Teabags
- Coffee grounds
- Egg shells
- Egg boxes
- Brown paper bags
- Toilet roll tubes
- Pet hair
- Vacuum cleaner bag contents (only if you have wool carpets!)
- Scrunched up newspaper
Don't compost these
- Meat
- Cooked vegetables
- Dairy products
- Dog or cat poo
- Nappies
Tips for top compost
1) 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 need
It'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
For more great tips on composting visit www.recyclenow.com/home_composting
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