Recycling - composters
This section explains everything you need to know about home
composting from reasons why to home compost, buying a compost unit,
easy step by step instructions to get started to what happens
during in the composting process. You may also
like to visit http://www.recyclenow.com/.
Why
Home Compost?
There are many benefits to composting at
home. Approximately 30% of household waste can
be composted. By home composting this waste you
are diverting this from your black refuse bin and from being
landfilled, and in the process also producing a soil conditioner to
use on your garden. When compostable waste is
landfilled it produces methane gas which is a contributor towards
global warming. Landfill sites release 20% of
the UK's methane emissions which contribute to global warming and
climate change (source : UK Gov).
Whether you are an established composter or you are just
starting out, you will be glad to hear you are part of a large,
growing number of gardeners who have recognised the benefits of
home composting. In fact the number of UK households composting
both kitchen and garden waste has increased by nine per cent, to
nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of the population over the past
seven years, and this trend looks set to continue.
The compost you produce can then be used in your garden
and improves the nutrient levels in the soil. It also
improves the soil structure, preventing erosion and retains the
soil's water holding capacity. All of these benefits contribute to
better root development and a healthy flourishing garden.
What to Home Compost
You can place the following in your home composter:
- vegetable peelings
- fruit peelings
- tea bags / leaves
- coffee granules
- egg shells
- egg boxes
- any garden waste
- straw and hay
But remember to keep the following out:
- meat and fish
- cooked vegetables
- bread
- bones
- dairy products
- animal litter
- cooked food scraps
- materials infected with persistent diseases e.g club root
pernicious weeds e.g bind weed/ weeds with seed heads
Buying a Composting Unit
Composting units are available to buy from WRAP (Waste and
Resources Action Programme) through Peterborough City Council at a
subsidised rate starting from £17.00 with free
delivery.
The Compost unit order form (246kb) appears in Adobe® Acrobat® (PDF) format. In order to view it you will need to have Acrobat Reader installed. (Those with visual impairments may wish to investigate Access Adobe, which provides tools and information to help make PDF files more accessible.)
(246 KB, 1 pages)
Water butts
Be prepared this year for summer hosepipe
bans and drought-warnings by
investing in a Water butt. Water butts allow you to save
water in your garden and conserve water resources. Collect
rainwater that falls on your roof in a water butt, its great for
use in the garden, for car washing and other jobs. And if you are
on a water meter it will save you money too!
Customers of Anglian Water are eligible for a special offer on
water butts please visit
http://www.anglian2u.com or
call 0845 130 85 85 for more information.
