Composters

Man using composter Over a third of the average bin is made up of organic matter which can be composted. It has never been easier to get composting in Barnet. Read on to see how simple it is to get started. If you are already composting, or want to get an idea of what's involved, have a look at our new user guides below

Compost at home

Wormeries:

Compost bins:

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.

If your household bin is overflowing each week, then a home composter or wormery could be just the thing you need. By using it daily you could slim your bin by a third. Here are some more 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.

Wormeries

What is a wormery?

Resident draining the plant feed liquid out of 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.

Why should I choose a wormery?

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.

How do I look after my worms?

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.

Council subsidised wormeries

We are subsidising the sale of wormeries to promote home composting and the reduction of household waste. The following subsidised wormeries are available to all Barnet residents:

The 100 litre original wormery The Original Wormery 100 litre - £30 (RRP £60)

height: 762mm
width: 610mm
depth: 432mm
worms included

Ideal for family use, or two or more people.

The 21 litre Junior wormery The Junior Wormery 21 litre - £20 (RRP £38)

height: 440mm
diameter: 340mm
worms included

Ideal for the single person household and brilliant for children.

Also available

Kitchen caddy five litre* - £2.50

Keep this air-tight, peel back lid bucket in your kitchen and use it to collect your kitchen waste for your wormery.

*Please note that kitchen caddies are only available when purchased with a wormery.

How can I order a wormery?

To order a wormery please contact Original Organics or call 01884 841515. Please have a valid debit or credit card to hand when you call to place an order. Alternatively you can download and complete the Womery order form (PDF 93KB) and send it to:

Original Organics Barnet Offer
Unit 9, Langlands Business Park
Uffcullme
Cullompton
Devon, EX15 3DA.

Conditions of offer:

limited to four wormeries per household
offer open to Barnet residents only
offer expires on 31 March 2009
offer includes free delivery to Barnet residents
your order will be delivered within approximately 28 days
kitchen caddies are only available when purchased with a wormery.

What help is available to me?

All wormeries come with a full set of instructions and an advice 'questions and answers' sheet. A worm expert from Original Organics is also available from 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday on 01884 841515 to deal with any concerns. You can also get composting and wormery tips at: Original organics.

You can also contact us using the details opposite.

Guide to using your wormery

Guide to using a wormery (PDF 999KB)

It contains loads of useful tips and advice on using your wormery.

Compost bins

What can I put in my compost bin?

You can easily reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by composting at home.

'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: what items should not be put into my 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.

Council subsidised compost bins

We are subsidising the compost bins to promote home composting and the reduction of household waste. The following compost bins are available to all Barnet residents:

The black compost converter has a lid at the top for putting food and garden waste in and a flap at the bottom for taking compost out Compost converter

220 litre compost bin - £15 (RRP £30)

height 90cm
diameter 74cm

330 litre compost bin - £20 (RRP £40)

height 100cm
diameter 80cm

Compost converters are made from 100% recycled plastic and guaranteed for 10 years.

The green compost tumbler sits on a metal frame which allows the whole composter to be tipped, aerating the compost 200 litre compost tumbler - £40 (RRP £68)

diameter 69cm
height 117cm
stand depth 92cm

Rotating the Tumbler weekly aerates the mixture and reduces the composting time to as little as 21 days. This unique design is ideal for large quantities of grass and reaches temperatures that will kill most weed seeds. Easy to fill and even easier to empty! Made from recycled plastic with a zinc coated steel frame. Guaranteed for five years.

Free gift with every compost bin

A five litre kitchen caddy. Collect your food waste in this convenient caddy. No mess. No drips.

Also available when you buy a compost bin

Compost bin base* - £10. It provides a secure composting environment and improves aeration and drainage.Complete water butt kit - £39.95, including:

190 litre water butt with childsafe lid
water butt stand
rain diverter kit.

How can I order a compost bin?

To order a compost bin please contact Straignt. Visit Straight's website or call 0845 130 60 90. Please have a valid debit or credit card to hand when you call to place an order. Alternatively you can download and complete the home composter order form (PDF 157KB) and send it to Blackwall Barnet Offer, freepost LS6334, Leeds LS14 1YY.