Composting

Reuse and Recycle

Buy A Compost Bin

Click on your council below to find out about
special offers on compost bins.

Bournemouth Borough Council

Christchurch Borough Council

Dorset County Council

East Dorset District Council

North Dorset District Council

Poole Borough Council

Purbeck District Council

West Dorset District Council

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council

Composting

If you are not already doing it, now is a good time to spend a bit of time in the garden and get started with composting.

"By composting at home you can reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and make sure that your garden and kitchen waste decompose without producing harmful greenhouse gases."

Why Composting?
By composting at home you can reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and make sure that your garden and kitchen waste decompose without producing harmful greenhouse gases.
Once you got started you will be amazed at how much more room you'll have in your wheelie bin. You will probably become more aware about what type of packaging and how much packaging you bring home. If you have children it is also a nice way to teach your children about waste, gardening and the process of composting. Don’t report me for using child labour, but my 4 year old actually enjoys tearing up used cereal boxes for the compost.

Getting started
Dorset councils offer compost bins at reduced prices, see links to the left for more information. You would also want a kitchen caddy to put all your compostable kitchen waste before taking it to the outside compost bin. If you are concerned of attracting rodents it is advised to fit a strong mesh at the base of the bin, avoid meat and dairy products and use your bin regularly as rats are very shy creatures.

What to put in to the compost bin?
Put in fruit and vegetable peelings, teabags (take them out of the mug before adding milk), cardboard, grass cuttings, leaves and hedge trimmings. Avoid meat, dairy products, glossy magazines, cooked food, animal litter and diseased plants.

It is imported that you mix equal amounts of browns (e.g. bits of cardboard, shredded paper and newspaper) and greens (e.g. grass cuttings and vegetable peel) in your bin as this will supply necessary oxygen to support the organisms responsible for the decomposition.

You should also mix or turn your heap around every now and then to allow air getting in to your compost as this will speed up the process. On a landfill waste does not get enough air, as more rubbish is continuously piled on top, this creates methane, which is a harmful greenhouse gas.

Is that it?
Yes, other than that it is not much more to think about, after about 9-12 months you should be able to find some ready to use compost at the bottom of the bin. The homemade compost will work wonders on your flower beds, around trees, as mulch, in patio containers or to feed your lawn.

PS. I am still looking for a contemporary looking kitchen caddy to take a proud place in my kitchen. Please email if you know where one can be found.....

For more information Recycle Now has a great online guide to composting.