Composting – How to Get Started

[Miss Muffet]

If you fancy trying your hand at composting and helping the environment, then hopefully this should be of some use to you.

Why should I compost?

Organic waste (anything that will break down) that is sent to a landfill site will not decompose as it is compressed underneath all that other waste! Organic waste needs access to air to get the anaerobic bacteria doing its job. If it is squashed under other rubbish, then all that happens is methane gas is produced, which is a powerful greenhouse gas – and that contributes to global warming! So as well as doing your bit to reduce global warming, by composting you’re providing yourself with a soil improver which will make your plants and vegetables grow better.

How do I compost?

First of all you need to choose the site for your compost bin. The ideal place is in the garden on bare soil – that way the worms and beetles can get in and help! If your only option is to place the compost bin onto paving stones or concrete, make sure there is a layer of existing compost or soil in the bottom so the worms can colonise.

The next step is to start adding your waste. Keep a small kitchen bin handy and pop in everything from fruit and vegetable peelings to eggshells and paper towels. Don’t compost cooked food, meat or fish. A list of what to compost follows below. Empty this mini bin into your compost bin along with garden waste. If you can manage it, a 50/50 mix of green and brown waste is the perfect combination for good compost.

Next you need to be patient. It will take between 6 and 9 months for the compost to be usable. Once the compost has become dark and crumbly (like thick soil) and has an earthy smell, you can use it. Your compost may be lumpy with bits of eggshell and twigs poking out – this is within the ‘normal’ range. To collect the compost, open the hatch at the bottom or lift the bin slightly and scoop out with a garden spade or fork. Compost must always be collected from the bottom as this is the oldest material.

What if I don’t produce enough compost for my needs?

Even the most ardent composter will need to buy a bag of compost from time to time. If you need to do so then look for bags that a re labelled ‘peat-free’ or ‘reduced peat’ as they contain recycled materials which again is great for the environment.



You can actually compost up to 30% of what goes into your household bin, in the average household this means that over the course of a year there will be 150kg of waste that is not going to a landfill site. Compost items are divided into 2 groups – ‘Greens’ and ‘Browns’.

Greens:
Coffee grounds and filter papers
Comfrey leaves
Fruit scraps, including citrus peel
Grass cuttings
Nettles
Old flowers
Pond algae and seaweed in moderation
Rhubarb leaves
Spent bedding plants
Tea bags
Vegetable peelings, including lettuce and cabbage leaves
Young annual weeds, e.g. chickweed and speedwell

Browns:
Bedding from vegetarian pets
Cereal boxes
Corn cobs and stalks
Cotton thread
Crushed eggshells
Dry leaves and twigs
Egg boxes
Feathers
Garden prunings, including hedge clippings
Natural fibre string
Old natural fibre clothes cut into small pieces
Pine needles and cones – don’t put in too much as they compost slowly
Sawdust and wood chippings
Scrunched up corrugated cardboard packaging (in small amounts)
Scrunched up newspaper
Shredded confidential documents
Straw and hay
Tissues, paper towels and napkins, unless they’ve been in contact with meat, fats, oils or disease
Toilet and Kitchen roll tubes
Tumble dryer lint from natural fibre clothing
Vacuum bag contents if carpet is natural fibre
Wood, paper or lumpwood charcoal ashes
Woody clippings
Wool

You can buy a bin and get free tips and advice from Recycle Now. So what are you waiting for?

Also posted in 'Fruit and Vegetables' and 'Conservation and The World Around Us'.