RECAP Information - Home Composting
In 2005-06, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough residents composted over 4, 406 tonnes of garden and kitchen waste through home composting and another 81,409 tonnes was either brought to HWRCs or collected at the kerbside. This shows that we composted 22 % of the rubbish that would have otherwise buried in the ground.
By separating and then composting our kitchen scraps and garden waste in our own gardens, we immediately reduce the amount of household waste we generate by turning it into a useful and free product.
In your garden
This year alone, over 4,400 home compost bins have been sold to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough residents. This means almost 74, 846 compost bins are being used.
Good quality compost generally takes 3-months to produce during warm weather and 6-months during the winter. It can take up to a year to produce compost with a really fine consistency.
What to Home Compost?
| YES (G=Green B=Brown) |
NO |
|---|---|
| Vegetable peelings (G/B) | Cooked Vegetables/Bread/Meat Scraps/Bones |
| Fruit Scraps (G/B) | Materials Infected with Persistant Diseases e.g. Club Root |
| Egg Shells | Pernicious Weeds e.g. Bind Weed |
| Tea Bags / Leaves and Coffee Grounds (G/B) | Large unchopped Woody Branches |
| Grass Cuttings (G) | Cat or Dog Litter |
| Finely Chopped or Shredded Shrub Prunings (B) | Coal ash and soot |
| Most Garden Weeds (G) | Nappies |
| Straw and Hay (B) | No pesticides - bugs are normal and needed in compost! |
| Small amounts of paper and cardboard, scrunched (B) | |
| Small amounts of sawdust (B) | |
| Autumn leaves (B) (large quantities best made into leaf mould) |
To Get Started:
- Select a level site in your garden (the sunnier the better) on grass or soil
- Buy a purpose made plastic or wooden container. Contact your local council to find out where to buy these or click on the link at the bottom of the page
- Or make your own container from wooden pallets or scrap timber
- Or build a heap and cover with old carpet or black polythetilene
What next?
Start adding material. Composting is living process. Micro -organisms, worms, insects and fungi all eat away at the content of your bin or heap and turn it into compost. All of this activity generates heat, which helps speed up the process.
The key to good compost is getting a combination of the above materials (roughly 50% greens and 50% browns) and to give the compost a good mix or turn every so often. This may mean removing some fresh or big items on top, turning the material underneath and mixing in fresher materials.
Too many green items alone may mean your compost is too wet and sludgy and too may browns and the compost will be too dry! Mixing them together works better.
Why turn?
Some people never turn their compost. This is okay but it will take longer to make compost. Turning adds air, which is an energy boost, and will help keep the heap or bin hot.
Trouble Shooting Tips
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
| Nasty Smells | Compost too wet Too Many grass cuttings | Leave lid off in dry weather, remove some grass cuttings |
| Slow Decay | Not Enough
heat Too dry - needs activator Lack of air |
Position in sunlight, keep lid on Moisten and mix in soft material Poor mix so fork through / add new material into the loose layers |
| Vermin | Meats and fats have been added | Remove unsuitable material |
For more information visit www.hdra.org.uk, or contact your local recycling officer.
Purchase a compost bin here.
Want to do more?
Master Composters are local volunteers who are committed to helping the environment and have been trained in the art of composting and how to teach it to others.
To find out more about our Master Composter Programme or how they can help you visit our master Composter page.
What if I can't home compost?
Please use the facilities that your local council provides, either a kerbside collection or a Household Waste Recycling Centre.
