Composters
Over a third of the average bin is made up of organic matter which can be composted.
Compost at home
Home composting is a natural way to recycle your garden and kitchen waste and will give you an excellent and more environmentally friendly alternative to peat.
Anyone can take part - you don’t need to be a keen gardener or to have a big garden to make compost. You can make the simplest form of compost from your uncooked kitchen scraps by using a compost bin or wormery. Here are some reasons to try home composting:
It can save you money by:
- providing you with free soil conditioner
- helping to keep your soil moist (reducing water consumption).
It can help your garden by:
- improving plant health and growth giving you bigger crops of fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs.
It improves our environment by:
- changing your kitchen and garden waste into a valuable resource
- reducing the amount of waste going to landfill
- reducing landfill methane (greenhouse gas) creation
- putting nutrients back into the soil
- reducing reliance on toxic chemicals and pesticides
- reducing the need to buy peat based products. Most commercial compost comes from peat bogs. These provide natural habitats for rare plants and animals and are almost extinct so we need to do what we can to protect them.
Compost bins
What can I put in my compost bin?
'Yes' items: you can put all of the following things into your compost bin:
- raw fruit and vegetables
- tea bags, coffee grounds and coffee filters
- eggshells
- plant remains (including cut flowers and house plants)
- droppings from animals that eat plants (i.e. hamsters, rabbits) and associated bedding
- egg boxes and cardboard e.g. cereal boxes and corrugated board (scrunched up) - avoid waxed cartons and sticky tape
- paper - towels, napkins and bags (scrunched up)
- grass cuttings
- weeds (annuals and perennials)
- old flowers and bedding plants
- young hedge clippings
- leaves (large quantities are best composted on their own in plastic sacks or wire mesh containers)
- old straw and hay
- woody prunings (small quantities)
- sawdust and wood shavings (small quantities).
'No' items: the following items should not be put into your compost bin:
- meat, fish and bones - although these can break down in the composter they can attract animals including rats or mice and they can also produce offensive smells as they break down
- large woody material such as branches, large prunings or pieces of processed wood
- don’t add droppings from any meat eating animals (like cats or dogs) as these can pass on a number of diseases
- perennial weeds such as couch grass, ground elder, bindweed and oxalis - these might not die during composting and can re-sprout after the compost is harvested. To avoid this, put them in a black plastic bag and leave in the sun for several weeks - then chop them up and place them into the compost pile
- poisonous plants such as oleander, hemlock and castor bean - these can harm soil life so only add these in small quantities - chop up ivy and succulents before composting, or they may sprout in the compost
- leaves from plants containing acids and resins toxic to other plants should only be used as mulch around the plants they came from - examples are eucalyptus, bay laurel, walnut, juniper, acacia, cypress and rhododendron
- plants infested with persistent diseases such as club root and white rot as the micro-organisms are not always killed by the composting process
- nappies.
How can I order a compost bin?
The council has an arrangement with Straight to make compost bins available to residents at a reasonable price. They offer the following compost bins and accessories:
- Compost Converter 220L (buy one get one half price special offer)
- Compost Converter 330L (buy one get one half price special offer)
- Converter Base Plate (buy one get one half price special offer)
- Compost Tumbler 200L
- Kitchen Caddy 5L
- Compostable liners 5L (3 for 2 special offer)
- Can-O-Worms wormery
- A range of other home composting products and water butts.
To order a compost bin, or for more information, please contact Straight:
Tel: 0844 571 4444
Visit: www.barnet.getcomposting.com
Guide to using your compost bin
- Guide to using a compost bin
(PDF 1.10MB) contains loads of useful tips on getting started with using your compost bin.
Wormeries
What is a wormery?
Wormeries are specially sealed bins which house an active colony of Tiger Worms which naturally convert your kitchen waste into concentrated liquid plant food and rich organic compost. They are ideal for flats and properties with little or no gardens and can be kept either indoors or outdoors.
Wormeries are great fun for children and are good value for money. The worms eat your food waste and produce the highest quality compost and a rich liquid that you can use to feed and water your plants.
What can I put in my wormery?
Wormeries are sealed units and are great for disposing of ‘wet’ kitchen waste. You can put the following items into your wormery:
- cooked leftovers
- meat
- cheese rinds
- fruit and vegetable peelings
- bread
- pasta
- teabags
- egg shells
- paper kitchen towels
- small amounts of shredded newspaper.
Wormeries need to be regularly drained to maintain the well-being of the worms and the compost needs to be emptied about once a year. Please also remember that the liquid feed produced MUST be diluted before use - one part liquid feed to 10 parts water.
How can I order a wormery?
Original Organics offer a wide range of wormeries. For more information, visit their website or call 01884 841515.
Guide to using your wormery
- Guide to using a wormery (PDF 999KB) contains useful information about how to get started using your wormery.
Email this pageLast modified by: Rachel Jones on 16/05/2011