What is it?

Compost is the term given to the natural process through which plant and animal matter is broken down into a rich, dark, soil-like material under controlled conditions. The overall aim of composting is to turn household and garden waste into a sweet-smelling, dark brown, crumbly compost. When compost is ready for use, there is hardly any trace of the parent material.

Important facts about Composting

• Up to 36% of your household waste can be composted.
• By making home compost, you can have a major impact on waste reduction and reduce the overall weight of your bin.
• Composting helps us put the three Rs to use: reducing, reusing and recycling. 
• The two main sources of material for composting are kitchen and garden waste.

Using the Right Ingredients

Making compost is a little like baking a cake. If you follow the guide below, you will select the right ingredients. The compost bin should be near your home to allow for easy access.

Waste is often divided into 'green' and 'brown' categories, depending on their chemical composition. In technical terms, green waste contains a high percentage of nitrogen and brown waste contains a high percentage of carbon. As a rule of thumb, roughly equal amounts of each type of waste should be used. The table below offers a guide as to the materials suitable for use when you are composting.

Composting Tips

1. Materials
   You achieve the best results by mixing tough materials, such as hedge trimmings and straw, with softer items, such as grass clippings, fruit and vegetable peelings.
2. Moisture
   It is important to achieve the right moisture balance. The compost becomes slimy if it is too wet, but the process stops if it is too dry. To test the moisture, squeeze a handful of material. It should feel as damp as a wrung-out sponge.
3. Air
   The tiny organisms that make your compost need oxygen. Use a garden fork to agitate the contents, in order to introduce air into your compost bin.

The Composting Process

Allow the composting to start. Keep adding to the bin until it is full, or you may want to start a new one. This could take weeks or months. Do not worry if the bin never fills up. If you want to speed things along, empty the bin every so often, mix up its contents and put it back again.

Some time later, you should have much free compost, all-in-one soil conditioner, plant food and mulch. After several months or more - it can take up to a year - the bottom layers of the bin should look like rich, dark soil. This is your compost.

Take it out to use on the garden, putting any undigested material back into the bin to start the next batch. Alternatively, you can simply empty the bin in the garden and cover the contents up with polythene or carpet. The materials will carry on digesting, and you can start using the bin afresh. Even with the cost of the bin, you will be making a saving, as you will see if you price the compost at your local garden centre. You will have saved money and prevented pollution and landfill.