One or more compost bins in your garden is the ideal way to reuse much of your kitchen and garden waste without sending it off with the bin men. You will be doing your bit for recycling and saving yourself some money as you will not need to buy as much commercially produced compost. (If you do need to buy any, make sure it does not contain peat as the loss of peat bogs is a serious environmental issue). Compost bins are readily available from DIY stores, garden centres and local councils from around £30 although this is often subsidised to encourage uptake.
There are different types of compost bins to suit different consumer requirements. Of course they are available in different sizes and range from a basic model which simply sits on a well drained part of your garden, to tumble compost bins which are more expensive but will speed up the process. As opposed to the typical nine to twelve months you would expect for your compost to be ‘finished’ in a standard compost bin, a tumbler can complete the process in as little as four weeks. They are also available in different styles to blend in better with your garden although the typical dark green models are far from an eyesore. But should you prefer you can buy leaf camouflage or even beehive-style models! Our home composting page will provide you with more information on what to put into your compost bin.
In addition to the compost bins in your garden, it is a good idea to buy a small kitchen caddy. These are available for as little as £5 and make your life easier by saving you as many trips to the garden, a relief on cold winters nights!
For more information on compost bins visit www.recyclenow.com or www.recycleworks.co.uk
