Composting Page
Composting your kitchen scraps at home is an ideal way to reduce your waste production, and end up with useful compost to put back onto your garden. Hackney Council has entered into a partnership with Original Organics to offer subsidised composting bins to residents of Hackney.
Original Organics offer two sizes of composting bin (220 litres and 300 litres) both available for £9.99 each. They also offer a wormery at £17.99. The wormery is smaller, at 90 litres, and is suitable for use inside as well as out.
To order an Original Organics compost bin, call:
01884 841 515
How to Compost
Composting is a quick, clean and simple way of recycling your kitchen scraps into a rich feed for your garden. Depending on how much fruit and veg you eat, over a third of your rubbish could be converted into compost. In order to helpWe've taken the following tips from www.recyclenow.com website, which is full of information and well worth a look.
Tip 1 - Kitchen caddy
Using a kitchen caddy to store kitchen waste will reduce the number of visits you have to make to your bin.
Tip 2 - Make it convenient
Placing your bin in a convenient spot will save you having to put on your wellies every time you need to go out to it.
Tip 3 - Grass and paper
When adding grass clippings, make sure that you mix them in with some dry materials such as scrunched up paper. This helps them break down easier.
Tip 4 - Feels like a sponge
When you squeeze a handful of compost it should feel like a wrung-out sponge. If more than a few drops of water can be squeezed out then it’s too damp. Add more browns to your bin and try leaving the lid off on hot sunny days.
Tip 5 - Deliver a chop
Chopping up the ingredients that you add to your bin helps the composting process along. Use a shredder or a garden spade.
Tip 6 - Fruity tip
Fruit flies are harmless and you do not need to worry about them if they are present. If you do wish to discourage them, try wrapping your fruit and veg waste in newspaper. Alternately, you can cover it with a thin layer of soil or compost when you add it to your bin.
Tip 7 - Aerate
To speed up the composting process turn or mix up your compost regularly with either a specifically designed aerator or a garden fork. Adding scrunched up paper will also help to create air pockets that are beneficial to the compost process.
Tip 8 - Compost for potting
Have a go at using your compost to make a potting mix. A simple mix is 1/3 compost with 1/3 leafmould and 1/3 loam. You can modify this mixture by adding sand or grit to make a seedling mix. Remember to sieve your compost first.
Tip 9 - Get comfrey
Comfrey leaves can be used as a compost activator as they decay quickly.
Tip 10 - Mulch away
Use your compost as a mulch around trees, shrubs and plants - but avoid contact with soft stems. This will help reduce watering and will also protect against frost and drought.
For more help with home or community composting, contact the London CRN Compost Network. Trained Master Composters offer free, friendly advice for home composters so if you're in need of help, want to know more or would like to volunteer a few hours and train to become a Master Composter yourself, email compost@lcrn.org.uk, or call 020 7324 4690. You can also visit their website (www.lcrn.org.uk) to find out about training and events in your area (click here for for compost section)
Page updated: 27 Dec 2007