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Advice

Composting is essentially the only recycling process that can be completely carried out within your own grounds.

The amount of material that will head into your compost pile(s) depends on a number of factors, including:

• Rural or urban area your living in

• The number of people that will be providing material to the compost pile e.g. the members of your family

• The diet of the people who are providing material

 

There are a number of ways that you can compost:

• Method 1 - Use a compost bin in your own garden

• Method 2 - Use your local authority collection scheme, if they have one

• Method 3 - Use a 'Community Composting Network Scheme'

Methods 2 & 3 should provide their own bin/bags for collection. Method 3 will involve going to the 'links' for this topic and asking for information from the Community Composting Network.

Which method you use depends entirely on your circumstances e.g. if you live in a flat then Method 2 or 3 might be more beneficial. Though Method 1 may be an option if you have a communal area that can be used (note it is worth getting the permission of those who also share the communal area).

 

If you decide to have your own composting bin(s) then it is worth considering the size of the garden you have. Here is a rough guide:

• Small front or rear garden One 250 litre composting bin

• Small front and small rear garden One 250 litre composting bin

• Average front and small rear garden (or vice versa) Two 250 litre composting bin

• Large front and average garden (or vice versa) Two 250 litre composting bin

• Large front and large rear garden Three 250 litre composting bins

 

From experience...

The size of the household collection bin should be no more than 5 litres for every two people in your household. When the bin lid is closed there should be no visible gap around the rim and should be emptied no less than once per week.

Consider lining the inside of the collection bin with newspaper (or similar) to control moisture and smell. Smell shouldn’t be an issue if the bin is emptied each week.

Many councils are promoting composting by supplying cut price composting bins, so it is worth asking your local council if they have such a scheme.

The bin should be placed in a warm spot (sun and sheltered), but before you put the bin in place dig the soil a bit to allow easy access for worms etc. Now place the bin in its place and put two criss-crossed layers of sticks in the bottom to allow air in from the bottom. After a while the sticks will get mixed into the compost, but this is ok as they will help to mix the compost when you mix the compost e.g. with a garden fork.

Now place a layer of 'green' material (explained soon) and now you are ready to add the ingredients of compost. Compostable materials are split into two groups 'green' and 'brown.' There are also a number of materials that should not be placed in a composting pile, as they will cause an environmental problem. See the following table:

Green	Brown	Don't Use
Vegetable peelings	Paper, Cardboard & Straw	Meat & fish scraps
Grass cuttings	Shredded egg boxes	Dog and Cat litter
Nettles	Egg shells (Cleaned and Crushed)	Nappies
Freshley dug weeds		Bones
Fruit Peelings		Dairy Products
		Diseased Plants
		Glass, Metals, Plastics

 

It is important to keep a good balance of both greens and browns, as only together will they produce good quality compost in a reasonable time frame.

There are some other essential tips worth remembering:

• Composting pile should be damp, but not overly wet. Therefore if you find the pile dry then add some water. If the pile is very wet then try add some shredded egg boxes or paper to absorb excess water.

• Remember to stir regularly. I keep a garden fork close to the compost bin and use it to stir the pile each time I add new material.

 

Over time you will start to notice more and more dark brown soil-like material appearing, this is your compost. You can access the compost at the bottom of your bin through the door. Use a spade to shovel out the compost and then dig it into your soil. If you find un-composted material, simply throw that material back in the top of the compost bin.

Well done for reading all this - actually getting your composting going is much more fun!

 

Other Sustainable Considerations

It is possible to get wooden compost boxes, which is making use of a sustainable material. However it is only truly sustainable if the wood comes from 'certified' sustainable forestry i.e. FSC, PEFC, etc.