Why don't you..?
Why don't you get composting?
Although the food that we throw away in our silver kitchen caddy is turned into compost and used on surrounding farmland, you might want to consider generating your own compost from the comfort of your own garden.
Composting is an inexpensive, natural process that transforms your kitchen and garden waste into a valuable and nutrient-rich food for your garden. Anyone with outside space can compost at home.
It can help improve the soil structure, maintain moisture levels, and keep your soil's PH balance in check, while helping to keep soil-based plant diseases at bay. It contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that your plants and flowers will love!
Home composting is the most environmentally friendly method of disposing of organic waste and it's easy to produce. You can compost food and green garden waste, but be sure to avoid putting dairy, meat and fish products, diseased plants and pet droppings in your compost bin.
Composting made easy - a step-by-step guide
Find the right spot - ideally, find a reasonably sunny spot where you can easily add ingredients to the bin and get the compost out.
Add the right ingredients - you can fill your composter with a range of waste materials from vegetable peelings to toilet roll tubes.
Fill it up - make sure you compost a variety of waste types to guarantee good compost.
Wait a bit - it takes nature between nine and twelve months to turn your waste into compost.
Ready for use - once the waste has turned into a crumbly, dark material and gives off an earthy aroma, it's ready for use!
And to help you get composting at home, Surrey Waste Partnership* is offering home composters for as little as £14 (RRP £39). To purchase a composter, or to dig up more advice about how to turn your table scraps and garden waste into compost, please visit www.surreycc.gov.uk/getcomposting or call 0844 571 4444.
*Surrey Waste Partnership is an alliance between Woking Borough Council, Surrey County Council and the other 10 district and borough councils in Surrey to manage the county's waste in the most efficient, economic and sustainable way.
