Some local authorities now offer food waste collection bins – they turn this waste into compost and then often offer it back to the public. However, this isn’t available in all areas, and even if it is you still have to wait for the compost to become available and the amount you can have will be limited. But everyone has food waste, so potentially anyone who has a garden to use compost in can make it for themselves. This reduces the amount of food waste going into landfill, which in turn reduces the production of methane, a harmful greenhouse gas [6]. All sorts of food, garden and even household waste can go into compost, for example:
- Vegetable peelings
- Fruit
- Egg shells (which are a good source of calcium)
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Grass cuttings
- Other plant matter such as leaves and twigs (although avoid weeds with seeds [1] or they’ll be growing in the compost!)
- Pet or poultry bedding
- Sawdust
- Newspaper
- Cardboard
- Egg boxes
- You can even compost hair and cotton balls
This is by no means a comprehensive list and it’s worth searching the internet for more detailed information – some of things you can put in your compost can be quite surprising [4] and there are several websites offering step-by-step guides. There are some things it’s a good idea to avoid putting in the compost mix, such as meat, cooked food and dairy (as they can attract vermin), weeds as mentioned above and also things like cat litter [6,1]. Manure from animals such as horses (not dogs!) can also be added to provide nutrients [1].
These can be grouped into “greens” (mainly garden and food waste) and “browns” (e.g. cardboard, newspaper, pet bedding and sawdust). Greens are nitrogen rich and break down quickly, while browns are slower to rot, and for the best results a roughly equal mixture of the two types of waste should be used [1].
So how do you go about it? Well, you don’t actually need a bin as you can just make a pile and cover it up, but bins are a bit tidier and therefore easier to manage [1]. If you’re really serious you can even set up two or three bins, so that you have compost at different stages of development at any one time [5]. You can make your own bin (instructions can be found online, e.g. from the Gardener’s World website [2]) or buy one – it may be possible to get hold of one fairly cheaply from your local council [1]. There’s even a website that lets you enter your postcode and then takes you straight to your local composting scheme [3]. Ideally, a bin will be easily accessible with a tight-fitting lid, and be located on soil, gravel or turf away from water courses, in a sunny or partially shaded position. You can also place the bin on wire mesh over a shallow hole [1,6]. It takes between 6-8 weeks to one year to produce compost, depending on how much effort you put in [1] with most people needing nine to twelve months, and you can start at any time of year [6]. You just keep adding compostable materials to the bin, and wait…
Making your own compost for a year can cut down greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the CO2 produced by a kettle in a year, or by a washing machine in three months [6]. So it’s a good way of offsetting your kettle usage, and the tea bags can even go in the compost!
[1] Garden Organic. http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/composting/compost_pf.php
[2] Gardener’s World, 2009. http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/compost-bin/
[3] Getcomposting.com. http://www.getcomposting.com/
[4] Planetgreen.com, 2009. http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/surprising-compost-items.html
[5] Vegweb.com, 2009. http://vegweb.com/composting/systems.shtml
[6] WRAP, 2011. http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/buy_a_bin/index.html
