Create Great Compost By Learning What Works In A Gardening Bin by Nowrecycle

Using a gardening bin to create compost is a great way to get in on the recycling craze. The practice is fantastic for the environment, helps save landfill space and can even keep a gardener's wallet a little heavier. Making compost, however, requires a careful touch. Knowing what to toss into a gardening bin and what to avoid can make a huge difference.

The University of Oxford offers some great suggestions on what can and should go into a gardening bin meant for creating compost. The key to creating a good compost material is to be certain to mix up the variety of items in the bin. Too many grass clippings added at once, for example, can make the compost too wet and slow down the decomposition.

To ensure a solid mix in a gardening bin, Oxford suggests remembering that items beyond garden waste can go into compost. Some of its suggestions include coffee grounds, tea bags, fruit, vegetables, dryer lint, almost any type of string or twine with natural fibres and more.

Paper products are ideal for adding to wheeled containers used for composting. These too should not be overloaded in the mix, however. The types of paper that work wonders in compost include used paper hand towels, the inside of toilet paper rolls, scraps of paper, cardboard and any other non-plastic coated paper materials.

While some locations strongly urge against the use of certain materials in the mix, Oxford is quick to point out that modern gardening bin products help reduce and even eliminate worry about pests, such as rats. If a plastic, elevated gardening bin is used for composting, items such as left over meat products, eggs, cheese and so on can all go into the mix. This does not guarantee the smell level won't be high, but pests will likely be kept at bay. Personal discretion is advised by many on the potentially smellier additions.

Although modern composting enables a broader use of products in the mix, there are certain things to avoid when making compost. The key in creating a nutrient-rich compost material is ensuring the breakdown of the materials. With this in mind, items that are not organic in nature should not be tossed into the bin. This means anything plastic should not be thrown into the mix. In addition, look out for items that appear organic, but that might have plastic coating on them. Some wrapping papers, for example, might not break down as desired. Also, plastic bags used in lunches are a no-go, but paper lunch bags are ideal.

The process of taking organic waste and blending it into a valuable compost material can take some time to happen. Since compost is the result of the decomposition process, some materials are likely to take longer than others. A lot also depends on the heat, moisture level and ventilation involved.

If composting is done correctly, the benefits of the process are worth the effort. This material works well as a mulch, a soil fertilizer and it helps keep rubbish out of landfills. By assisting the process of natural recycling along, those who compost are generally doing themselves, their plants and the world around them a favour. While it might take a little time to realise the benefits of turning a gardening bin into a composting pile, the payoff can be rather large in the long run.

Editors' notes: NowRecycle.co.uk is a trading style of Plastic Omnium Systems Ltd - a European market leader in waste containment solutions that provides a wide range of waste containers and services including wheeled bins, litter bins, banks, composters and sacks. It is part of the International Plastic Omnium Group, a world leader in contract waste container solutions with worldwide sales of more than £1.8 billion. It employs over 9,000 people in 25 countries, across four continents, in manufacturing and service solutions for the automotive, environment and performance plastic products. Press Contact: Simon Dutta, N European Marketing Director, Plastic Omnium Urban Systems Ltd Telephone: 01952 582 583


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NowRecycle.co.uk is a trading style of Plastic Omnium Systems Ltd - a European market leader in waste containment solutions that provides a wide range of waste containers and services including wheeled bins, litter bins, banks, composters and sacks. Press Contact: Simon Dutta, N European Marketing Director, Plastic Omnium Urban Systems Ltd Telephone: 01952 582 583