Waste & Recycling Services

Home Composting and Waste Minimisation

Get Composting at Home!

Help the Environment and Save Money

Kitchen and garden waste make up about a third of all household waste. Composting this reduces the amount of rubbish being taken to landfill sites. When you remove flowers from your garden, mow the grass, or prune, organic matter is lost. Composting replaces it at no cost. Compost can be used as a substitute for manures and fertilisers, improving the structure and health of the soil and making it more fertile.

Getting started is simple - all you need is a container. Details of where to purchase a home composter are listed below, as are details on how to make your own.

Put these in

Keep these out

Questions you may have about home composting

Where can I buy a home composter?

You can order your compost bin online using the following link http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting
You can print an order form (254KB, PDF file)
You can also collect an order form from display stands at the Contact Centre, Civic Offices, Bexleyheath Library, Blackfen Library, Crayford Library, Erith Library, Sidcup Libraryand Welling Library
Home composters are also available from some garden centres and DIY outlets

Find out how to make your own composter.

How do I use my home composter?

Turn it about once a week. Use a garden fork to turn the pile to allow air into the system
Keep the moisture right, not too dry, but not too damp
Use a good mixture of material-for example too much grass will just turn into green sludge. Try mixing twigs in with grass cuttings
Put the home composter on soil so bugs can get in and excess liquid can go into the ground. DO NOT place on concrete or it will not work properly

What can I use the compost for?

Soil improver
Mulch
Soil substitute
Use when planting trees and shrubs

(Caution, do not use in large quantities in one go as it is a very strong fertiliser and may adversely affect plants)

Where can I get more information on home composting?

For further information on home composting please use the links listed below:

The Royal Horticultural Society
The Composting Association
Recycle Now
Wiggly Wigglers