Celebrate Compost Awareness Week
Find out about Gloucestershire's Master Composters and their work in helping the residents compost their garden waste.
This year, International Compost Week is running from 6-13 May 2018, and we are celebrating this by recognising our Master Composters and their work in helping the residents of Gloucestershire to compost their garden waste.
Why compost?
Composting your garden and food waste produces a nutrient-rich product for you to use on your garden, from materials that otherwise end up elsewhere. If these materials were to end up in landfill, they would start to break down without oxygen resulting in the release of methane. When composted at home, oxygen is present (in the gaps between sticks and twigs) and a lot less methane is released, which is much better for the environment. The compost produced also contains lots of nutrients from the organic material you are composting, meaning it is great for plant and crops.
Want to know more?
One of our Master composters has written some articles on composting for creative commons (articles able to be freely distributed). Some of the articles are more for beginners, whereas a few are for people already composting that just need a bit of help.
What do the Master Composters do?
The Master Composters are a group of people who promote composting as a method of waste reuse to our residents, at various Fayres, talks, shows, visits and much more. They can help you find the best way to compost in your garden. They all compost themselves, and use their compost in their gardens so are experienced and know how composting can fit into your lifestyle.
What are they up to this week?
This week many of our Master Composters are volunteering at Malvern Spring Show with the Gloucestershire Organic Gardening Group (GOGGS), where they have a stand all based around composting, and how you can get into composting at home.
How can I get involved?
If you are interested in composting and live in Gloucestershire you can purchase discounted compost bins from Get Composting. You can buy a compost bin from as little as £8.49 (plus £5.99 delivery per order). Bins are available on a buy one get one 1/2 price offer!
There are also Community composting schemes around the county, such as Bisley Community Composting Scheme. Visit https://www.bisleycommunitycompostscheme.org.uk/ to find out more.
If you are interested in getting in contact with a Master Composter, email waste@gloucestershire.gov.uk