Home composting
Home composting is the most environmentally friendly way to recycle much of your food and garden waste. It can help to reduce the amount of waste in your black rubbish sack by up to a quarter.
What to compost
There are plenty of materials around the kitchen and garden that can go into your compost bin.
The table below gives a quick guide to some of the food and garden waste you can put in your compost bin, and the types of waste you should keep out.
| Put in compost bin | Keep out of compost bin |
|---|---|
| Fruit and vegetable peelings | Meat, fish and bones |
| Egg shells | Dairy products |
| Spent flowers and plants | Processed foods such as pasta and bread |
| Tea bags, coffee grounds and filter paper | Any cooked food |
| Grass cuttings and nettles | Dog and cat litter or faeces |
| Hedge trimmings | Large branches |
| Leaves and twigs | Nappies |
| Shredded paper and card | Metals, glass or plastic |
| Rabbit and guinea pig bedding | Invasive plants such as Japanese Knotweed or ragwort |
The materials above can be composted all year round. They will take roughly nine months to break down into a very dark, crumbly soil conditioner that you can use round the garden.
Further information
If you have too much garden waste for your home compost bin, you can take it to the tip or subscribe to our garden waste collection service.
For information about home composting to help you get started, visit the Smart Living and Recyclenow websites.
Share this page
