Torfaen Council is urging residents to try home composting this month as part of an awareness campaign.
Working in partnership with Waste Awareness Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government, the Council aims to encourage more residents to compost at home. Composting is a natural process that turns kitchen and garden waste into a rich, good quality soil conditioner.
Getting a new compost bin at home is an easy yet effective way of diverting waste from landfill sites.
Executive Member for Operational Services, Cllr John Cunningham, said: "We all know how serious the situation is with landfill sites filling up fast and composting is an easy, fun way of helping divert waste from these sites."
Like any recipe, the compost relies on the right ingredients to make it work. Here are some handy tips:
-
Things that rot quickly are soft, wet and high in nitrogen. These include fruit/vegetable peelings and cores and grass clippings.
-
Things that rot slowly are hard, dry and high in carbon. These include cardboard egg boxes, scrap paper, fallen leaves, twigs and branches.
-
Your compost needs to be moist - but not too wet - with air pockets. If you notice it becomes too wet add more things that are slow to rot, and if it's too dry add things that rot quickly.
-
Every now and then add more scrunched bits of card or turn with a fork.
-
Things to keep out of your composting bin include meat, bones and dairy products, cooked vegetables, processed food, diseased plants, weeds and animal faeces.
If you would like to start composting at home the Council offers subsidised compost bins. For more information visit www.getcomposting.com/torfaen| or call 0800 316 4454.
For more information call Ben Payne, Waste Management Communications Officer, on 01495 766760.