How can I compost my waste?

Composting transforms your kitchen and garden waste into nutrient rich food for the plants in your garden. Creating compost is easy and inexpensive and helps the environment by reducing the amount of waste you send to landfill, and by providing a natural alternative to chemical fertilisers. 

Did you know, composting at home for just one year can save global warming gases equivalent to all the CO2 your kettle produces annually, or your washing machine produces in three months?

Here are our tips for getting started:

• Buy a decent compost bin - you can create a compost heap if you prefer, but a bin means your composting can be compacted into a small space, perfect for smaller gardens.
• Site your compost bin on a level, well-drained spot - this will ensure any excess water can drain away easily and will allow worms to get in and start the job of breaking down the contents of the bin.
• Put the right stuff in - vegetable peelings, fruit waste, plant/grass cuttings and teabags are fast to break down and provide important nitrogen and moisture. Cardboard egg boxes, fallen leaves and scrunched up paper are slower to break down but provide vital fibre and carbon and also allow important air pockets to form in the mixture. Crushed eggshells can be included to add useful minerals.
• Never compost meat or dairy products, diseased plants, dog poo or cat litter, or babies’ nappies. Putting any of these in your compost will lead to unwanted pests and smells. Also avoid composting perennial weeds (such as dandelions and thistle) and weeds with seed heads. Glass, plastics and metals are not suitable for composting and should be recycled separately.
• Turn your compost regularly to aerate and mix up the waste, leading to faster composting.
• You can buy a compost activator which, when mixed with water and added to the bin, encourages the enzymes needed to turn your waste into compost in half the time. You can also use this to revive your compost heap if it has died.
• Your compost is ready when you have a dark brown, almost black, spongey soil-like layer at the bottom of your bin. Add this nutrient rich compost to your flowerbeds to improve soil quality, retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Staying safe

Compost can be a perfect environment for legionella to thrive, a bacteria which can cause Legionnaires' disease. When tending to compost, you could potentially be at risk from inhaling bacteria. To avoid this, you should: 

• Make sure your head is not directly over bags or containers of compost when opening them, or when potting soil.
• Try to avoid storing compost in greenhouses as this can heat it up to a temperature legionella thrives at. 
• Think about wearing protective equipment like masks or gloves to protect you from bacteria. 
• Dampen down compost before turning it.