Did you know that May 6 to 12 is Compost Awareness Week?

Hammersmith and Fulham Council is marking it by reminding residents that they can purchase their own composter at a reduced price.

Subsidised home compost bins can be ordered on-line from as little as £21.50 (including delivery) for a 220 litre compost converter model.

Wormeries and kitchen composters are also available. To order yours call 0845 130 60 90 or visit the council's Get Composting website. 

This time of year is excellent for composting as there is a great deal of nutrient-rich waste available, and a compost bin is a great way to combine tidying the garden while creating a good mulch to improve spring planting.

The council is keen to emphasise that doing your own compsting, you can help it to save approximately £138 for every ton of waste diverted from incineration. Your bin will also provide you with a free supply of compost that is great for the garden.

Cllr Greg Smith, H&F Council Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, is urging gardeners to get digging. He says: " Composting is a great way to recycle garden waste, and it saves council taxpayers money because we end up sending less material to costly incineration. Everybody wins."

UK households in England throw away around 4 million tonnes of waste every year that could have been composted.  Home composting not only helps to significantly reduce carbon emissions, it can also be used as an effective and sustainable waste management method to reduce the amount of waste sent for disposal.

As well as green garden waste, you can compost fruit and vegetable peelings, egg shells, tea bags, pet hair and even shredded paper – which cannot go in to your orange Smart sack.

 

May 4, 2012