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DID YOU KNOW?
Half the contents of the kitchen bin can often be composted.

20% of the UK's methane emissions in 2002 came from landfill sites.

All those potato peelings, carrot tops, tea bags and dead flowers that are thrown in your kitchen bin – and end up at a landfill site – would be much better used turned into rich compost for the garden. Along with
grass cuttings, paper and much, much more, it takes only a few months to turn it all into nutritious, health-giving compost that your plants will thrive on. A compost heap has many benefits. It not only recycles rubbish, but it provides a useful and valuable resource and encourages good plant growth. Composting usually takes about 3-9 months, although it may take longer during the winter months. Composted material can be taken from the bottom of the heap, allowing the partly-composted and newer material to remain. But, better than a simple compost heap, use a compost bin. You can buy one at most DIY stores and garden centres.

There is a new compost bin online ordering system on the Recycle Now website. Please follow this link www.recyclenow.com/compost. The bins can also be order over the phone 0845 073 2001. You should find that a 200-300 litre bin is big enough for an average-sized garden. Alternatively, you could make your own compost bin out of wood. Old wooden pallets are ideal – or make a timber frame and use planks of wood for the sides and removable front. To speed up the composting process, cover with a plastic sheet or carpet to keep out the rain and keep in the heat and moisture. Place your bin in a sunny, well-drained area of bare soil or grass, out of the wind. Breaking up the earth underneath will improve drainage. Warmth from the sun speeds up the composting process.

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The five-point guide to making good compost

1 Mix well
Large amounts of one substance can create an 'unbalanced' diet for microorganisms, so mix large amounts of lawn cuttings, etc., with other garden residues.

2 Add water when necessary
Compost should be kept moist but not wet. Add water to any dry material which you add – and when the weather is particularly dry. But protect from too much rain or valuable nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphates will be lost.

3 Let the air get in
To create compost you must have air. Pipes or bricks at the base of a compost heap or bin help air circulation. A compost heap should never be higher than five feet (1.5m), so that air can always get to the centre. Airless conditions encourage anaerobic bacteria which putrefy material.

4 Keep it warm
A healthy compost heap reaches temperatures of up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) at the centre, and this heat will kill weed seeds and sterilise your compost. So, to maintain a good temperature in periods of cold, you should insulate your heap, using perhaps an old carpet or blankets on the top.

5 Use an activator
The correct balance between carbon and nitrogen should be maintained in compost. Many plants (particularly older ones) have lots of carbon in them and micro-organisms need nitrogen to break it down. You can get proprietary ‘activators’ from garden centres or use natural ‘high nitrogen’ additives such as nettles or comfrey. For lots more on composting visit: www.hdra.org.uk/gh_comp.htm

What can you compost?

Animal bedding
Egg shells
Flowers
Fruit
Grass cuttings (in layers no more than 10cm deep)
Hair and fur
Harder woody prunings if shredded small
Paper (not too much at a time)
Plants
Potato peelings
Soft hedge prunings like privet or beech
Straw
Tea/tea bags/coffee granules
Vegetable scraps (uncooked)
Weeds

What shouldn't you put in your compost?
Coal ash
Cooked foods
Dairy products
Dog and cat faeces
Leaves (let them rot down in a black plastic bag to make leaf mould)
Meat and fish
Metal and glass
Nappies