Composting has environmental benefits

Why bother?

Many items which would normally fill up your trash can, or dustbin, can be used to make great compost.

It is not as time consuming as you may imagine. Once you get into the recycling mode it may spread to other parts of your life.

Composting means that you can:-

1. Help the environment by producing less waste
2. Save yourself money by making your own rich, garden compost
3. Dispose fully of what remains of your shredded, personal, documents

Getting Started

Purpose made composters come in all shapes and sizes these days. There are small ones suitable for postage stamp sized gardens or much larger ones. Decide what will work for you. Of course if you have a large garden space you can just start a compost heap. The trouble with these though is that they can attract rats and other vermin. A nicely lidded composter will be much safer. So:-

1. Decide on where you will situate your composter
2. Try to pick a spot that will get plenty of sunshine, when the sun is out
3. Purchase the appropriate composter. You may only be able to accommodate a small fat composter or a tall thin one. Research the best option for you
4. In the UK many councils offer special deals on composters, often charging next to nothing. Check out your local council’s website
5. Buy a composter that has an opening near the bottom for accessing the compost which is ready for use. If you do not you will have to tip the whole thing on its end
6. can be messy and hard work
7. Buy a compost accelerator to get the first pile of leftovers started

What you CAN put into a composter

1. Egg Shells
2. Used tea bags
3. Shredded paper such as old newspapers or the contents of your shredder
4. Fruit and vegetable peelings
5. Leftover, uncooked fruit and vegetables
6. Dead Flowers
7. Garden clippings and trimmings
8. Lawn clippings
9. The inner roll from toilet or kitchen paper. Tear this cardboard up though
10. Cardboard and brown paper
11. Cardboard egg trays or boxes

What you CANNOT put into a composter

1. Shiny coloured paper and card
2. Any cooked food
3. Dead annual plants as they may have diseases
4. Old compost from plants unless you are sure it is disease free
5. Animal excrement
6. Waste such as plastic, cellophane and the like as it will not rot down
7. Meat, fish and cheese
8. Disposable nappies
9. Pernicious weeds
10. Plastic bags

Hints and Tips

1. It is best to position your composter on a patch of your garden
2. Try to pick a spot in your garden or yard that gets plenty of sunshine
3. If this is not possible place a few shovelfuls of garden earth at the bottom of your composter
4. Try to layer your waste especially at the start
5. Tear old newspapers into strips and layer between layers of peelings, flowers and tea bags
6. Pour on the accelerator or at least some water
7. If your compost becomes too wet or dry adjust the levels of water, wet and dry waste
8. Your compost should not be smelly. If it is again consider adding more paper
9. Always replace the lid firmly to prevent vermin infestation
10. Keep an old wooden broom handle handy to stir the compost from time to time
11. Keep adding waste and you will find that although the top may still resemble just leftovers there should be good rich compost at the bottom
12. If you do not want the compost yourself trade or sell it around your neighbourhood

Overall
You will get a real buzz when you see what is basically rubbish or trash turned into something beneficial to your garden. Many of your plants will benefit from this rich compost and there is no trekking to the garden centre and paying over the odds for what may be a suspect product. Having your own compost on tap will boost your garden, save you money and help the environment, which these days is the real bonus.

Even if you are not really into gardening composting is a great way of disposing of a lot of your waste and the cost is minimal.