Composting

Composting is one of the easiest and cheapest ways of recycling and it is something that all of us can do in our own back garden.

Why Compost

1. Helps your local environment 
2. Reduces the amount of garden and kitchen waste going to landfill 
3. Saves you money 
4. Helps your garden grow naturally

How to Compost

1. Locate your composter on bare soil. Somewhere in your garden that is easily accessible all year round.
2. You should mix your Green and Brown materials evenly when composting. Greens are soft, wet materials like grass cuttings, vegetables and fruit scraps. Browns are harder, dryer materials like hedge trimmings and strips of cardboard.
3. When composting you should put a lot of materials in all at once. Chop large items into smaller pieces to help with the process. Try to ensure that your compost is moist but not wet – when squeezed in your hand, a few drops of water should be produced. Add water if it is too dry; cover and add dry material if too wet.
4. If you wish, add compost accelerator (young nettles are an excellent natural accelerator) to help speed up the composting process.
5. Keep adding materials, remembering to agitate the contents every couple of weeks throughout spring and summer to keep air flowing through.
6. Your compost is ready when it is dark in colour and smells like earth. This can take from 6 to 18 months depending on the materials used and the time of the year.

What can you compost?

• Grass cuttings
• Hedge cuttings
• Vegetable peelings
• Tea bags
• Coffee grounds
• Ripped cardboard and paper
• Fruit cuttings

What can you not compost?

• Meat, fish or cheese (note - these can be composted via your brown caddy) 
• Coal ash
• Cooked left overs (note - these can be composted via your brown caddy)
• Metals, glass or plastic
• Nappies

Subsidised composters

If you would like to start composting at home the Council offers subsidised compost bins. For more information call 0800 3164454 or visit www.torfaen.getcomposting.com.