What‘s composting all about?

Composting is a little thing you can do in your garden to help wildlife and reduce waste. It's a natural process where organic material in your food scraps breaks down into something that looks like soil. This matter is rich in nutrients and can be an amazing food for the plants and veg in your garden.

One thing that you can easily try in your garden is composting. Let's find out all about it and how you can start your own compost bin at home to help the environment.

Composting benefits

There are lots of benefits of starting composting in your garden. Here are just a few:

It can help reduce your family’s waste

Composting can help keep our planet safe and clean by reducing some of the waste that goes to landfill.

You can save money on plant food

Instead of buying plant food, you can make your own for free from scraps. It’s rich in nutrients that help your plants grow.

Provides food to decomposers

Your compost pile is the perfect food for decomposers like fungi and worms, which in turn provide food for birds and other garden wildlife.

It's a peat-free alternative

By using compost in your garden, you're reducing the amount of peat in the soil. Peat releases carbon dioxide which is bad for the air and we lose important animal habitats when it's harvested.

What can I compost?

The most important thing to know when starting to compost is how to separate your waste. Some waste is not suitable for a compost pile because it can attract pests or add toxins to the soil.

Check out our dos and dont's for composting

DO put these in the compost:

Fruit and vegetables
Eggshells
Coffee grounds and filters
Tea bags
Nut shells
Shredded newspaper
Cardboard and paper
Leaves
Sawdust
Wood chips

DON'T put these in the compost:

Coal or charcoal ash
Dairy products (butter, milk, yoghurt and eggs)
Fats, grease, lard or oils
Meat or fish bones and scraps
Pet waste

Make your own composting bin

It’s easy to start composting once you’ve got the right container in place. If you want to add one to your garden, here’s our step-by-step guide for a starter composting container.

What‘s composting all about?

To create a composting bin, you’ll need:

A plastic storage bin with a lid (size depending on your needs)
Shredded newspaper
Soil
Dried leaves
Water

Step 1: Choose a location

The best place to keep your composting bin is out of sight and away from buildings.

Step 2: Preparing the bin

Get an adult to make sure there are holes at the bottom of the storage container. They can do this by drilling holes. This allows it to drain.
Add the shredded newspaper, filling it up a quarter of the way.

Step 3: Adding soil

Add soil on top of the newspaper until the bin is half full.
Add the dried leaves on top and some food scraps to get started.
Mix it all up using a stick.
Spray a little bit of water on top so that everything is damp, but not completely wet.