18 March, 2008

In praise of council compost

Today I popped over to the localish garden centre in Llanfoist called McDonalds and bought three sacks of compost for £3. The compost comes from Monmouthshire Council via their recycling systems which has resulted in Monmouthshire sending 30.2% less biodegradeable waste to landfill than their target indicated and breaking Welsh records. Lots of good local councils produce their own compost from biodegradeable waste so this is worth seeking out as it's a lot cheaper and it supports a system which directly helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions - science note: biodegradeable waste produces methane in landfill - A BAD THING - when it should go towards compost - A GOOD THING.

I also have two compost bins from Powys council bought for the subsidised price of £15 each. And as I think I may have a rodent problem - I'll leave it at rodent as I don't want to think about what type... and have no Archie to help - I am about to invest in a Bokashi bucket to sort out my cooked kitchen waste. So what's Bokashi? Basically it's a bucket that stuff ferments in using a special bran and once dealt with over a couple of weeks, you can bury it, or bung it in your compost. Apparently, and here's something I didn't know or hadn't thought of, the Japanese and Koreans are really really good at composting etc. They have less land per head and so they had to get good at it. Things you learn from Radio 4 - can't remember if it was The Food Programme or Open Country or Farming Today.

1 comment:

Heather @ Wiggly Wigglers said...

Hi Eliane,

I am sure that you will enjoy using Bokashi - it's great for meat and fish scraps. Don't forget not to leave the bin for more than 2 weeks after the lid is sealed.