Composting at home

Introduction

We’re encouraging you to compost your kitchen and garden waste at home. 

Composting is great for the environment and an easy way to transform your kitchen and garden waste into a valuable and nutrient rich food for your garden.

How to compost

1. Place a large bin or container in a reasonably sunny spot on bare soil. If you have to put your compost bin on concrete, tarmac or patio slabs, put a layer of paper and twigs or existing compost on the bottom.
2. You can also make a compost heap in a corner of the garden if you don’t have a suitable container. It could take a bit longer, but will still work.
3. Continue to fill your brown kitchen caddy with everything from vegetable and fruit peelings, to teabags and eggshells. Take care not to compost cooked food, meat or fish.
4. Empty your kitchen caddy, along with your garden waste, into your composting bin or onto your compost heap. A 50/50 mix of greens (for example grass, peelings, weeds) and browns (twigs, dead plants, card, shredded paper) is the perfect recipe for good compost.
5. Wait between nine and twelve months to let nature do its work.

Once your compost is crumbly, dark and resembles thick, moist soil, it's ready to use as a nutrient-rich, free fertiliser for your garden and plant pots which your flowers and plants will love.

Visit the recyclenow website (link opens in new window) for more information.