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What is composting?

Composting is nature's way of recycling. As organic waste decays it breaks down into a dark and crumbly soil which retains all its goodness, so when it's spread on your garden it acts as a natural fertiliser for your plants and flowers. Organic waste is broken down by the work of thousands of creatures which munch their way through the material.

Inside every compost heap there is a complex food web of animals. Micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi and algae) feed on the softest material and multiply, which raises the temperature inside the compost heap and speeds up the decomposition process. Temperatures in the middle of some heaps can get up to 60°C! Bigger animals such as earthworms, beetles, ants, slugs and snails eat up the larger bits of vegetation, and burrow through the heap helping essential air and water get all the way through. At the top of the web are the carnivores, which eat the other animals in the heap. These include spiders, centipedes and earwigs. So as well as being an environmentally-friendly way to get rid of waste composting encourages biodiversity in your garden - the birds will love all those juicy offerings.

What can be composted?

Generally most organic and non-animal kitchen waste can go on the compost heap. Use the following as a guide:

'Greens'

• All uncooked fruit and vegetable left-overs and peelings 
• Coffee grounds and tea bags 
• Egg shells 
• Grass cuttings 
• Flowers

'Browns'

• Leaves 
• Prunings 
• Pet bedding from vegetarian pets 
• Weeds (bake them in the sun first to stop them sprouting) 
• Small bits of cardboard and paper - a good way to get rid of confidential documents after shredding them

Don't compost

• Cooked food 
• Meat and fish 
• Bread 
• Large quantities of paper and cardboard 
• Nappies 
• Dog and cat faeces

How can I compost?

First of all you need to get a compost bin. Compost bins are available from £8 including delivery. To order or for more information call 0845 077 0757, visit the Recycle Now website or download an application form (see below).

Alternatively you can pile your compost on bare earth in an allocated part of the garden (1 cubic metre is ideal) and cover it to keep it warm and prevent it becoming saturated (an old bit of carpet will do the trick). Details on how to build your own bin can be found at the BBC Gardening website.

Fill your bin with all your organic waste. Best results are achieved by putting in a mixture of 'greens' and 'browns'. As well as this food stock your compost heap requires air and water. Turn and water your compost, the more often you do this the faster it will rot down.

After several months the bottom of your compost bin will contain a rich, dark brown-black, moist and homogeneous compost. This can be dug into the ground as a soil conditioner, used as a ground covering mulch, sieved and mixed with sand for sowing and potting, or used instead of peat for any other garden purpose.

Associated documents:

• Compost bin order form  (1.21 MB)

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