RECYCLING
A natural feast
Compost is nature ’ s way of recycling . Not only does it get rid of unwanted waste , but at the end of the process gardeners also get a handy selfmade product to help their plants grow .
Because it is so packed full of nutrients , compost can be used to feed plants , improve soil texture and help your garden retain moisture in dry weather conditions .
You can make compost in your garden by using a discounted compost bin or a wormery . Compost bins are priced from £ 17.98 for Ealing residents from www . ealing . getcomposting . com The bin is delivered to your home and comes with a handy guide on how to use it .
You might be surprised by just how many items you can compost . As well as garden waste and uncooked food waste , you can compost shredded cardboard , paper and newspaper – and a lot more . At least 30 % of the average household bin can be composted . There are many everyday waste items from your home and garden that can be added .
MORE ABOUT COMPOST Compost is produced by alternating layers of some of the materials listed above . A mix of ‘ greens ’ and ‘ browns ’ is important . Try and aim for a half-andhalf mixture of greens and browns :
GREENS Fruit and vegetable peelings Tea bags , coffee grounds and filter paper Grass cuttings Old flowers Nettles Vacuum cleaner dust Tissues and paper napkins
BROWNS Egg shells and boxes Newspaper and cardboard ( scrunched up ) Garden prunings and leaves Shredded confidential documents Bedding from vegetarian pets ( e . g . hamsters )
The green items contain bacteria that generate the initial heat required to start things breaking down . Mixing in some brown items will prevent the contents from becoming too sludgy and smelly .
More advice on how to get started can be found at www . ealing . gov . uk / recycling around ealing Spring 2017 23