Composting Challenge

Join the crowds and kick off your home composting challenge during the perfect season

People in Worcestershire are being encouraged to join the thousands who've already started their home composting journeys during the perfect season to kick off their own campaigns.

Worcestershire County Council is reminding residents that they can get their hands on compost bins for as little as £12, which includes delivery - so there's never been a better time to get started.

Almost 90,000 bins have been sold across Worcestershire and Herefordshire since 2005 – with the players and staff of the Worcester Warriors and Worcestershire County Cricket Club adding their backing to the campaign.

Autumn conditions mean there's a great deal of nutrient-rich waste available around gardens at the moment. Spent bedding plants, grass cuttings, leaves and pruning can all be composted as the nights draw in to produce a rich compost ideal for planting in the springtime.

Not only is composting kind to the environment it could also help people keep some extra cash in their pockets by naturally transforming kitchen and garden waste into a valuable resource. Compost helps to improve soil structure, maintain moisture levels and keeps the soil's pH balance in check while helping to suppress plant disease.

As well as garden waste much of the food that ends up in household bins can also be used. A home composter bin allows anything from fruit and vegetable peelings to eggshells, tea bags, pet hair and even shredded paper, to be used.

Ideally people composting at home should aim for a 50/50 mix of 'greens' (vegetable peelings, old flowers, grass cuttings, spent bedding plants) and 'browns' (garden prunings, coffee grounds, tissues, paper napkins, cardboard and vacuum cleaner dust).

A top tip for people with a large amount of leaves to put in compost bins is to put any excess in a bin bag, make a few holes in it and leave it in the corner of the garden or behind the shed. The leaves will rot down and can be used in a few months time. Using a lawnmower to pick up leaves also helps shred them, which helps the composting process.

Cllr Anthony Blagg, County Council Cabinet Member for Waste and Sustainability, said: "Autumn is the perfect time for tidying up your garden and with a compost bin all that waste can become beautiful compost. Over the last few years thousands of people have already started their composting challenges, which not only helps the environment but can also save residents money.

"Joining them, making a start and buying a bargain priced bin couldn't be easier - simply do it online or over the phone and it will be delivered to your door."

For more information on home composting and for details on how to purchase a bin visit http://www.letswasteless.com/ or call 0844 571 4444.