D.I.Y Compost

When left to its own devices, all organic matter will eventually break down thanks to bacteria, fungi and hungry insects! Vegetable peel, egg shells, coffee grounds, garden clippings plus more can all be composted, and with the average UK household throwing away up to 2 pounds of organic waste each day, it’s a great way to be more environmentally conscious.

Compost is made up of greens and browns. Greens are high nitrogen products such as grass cuttings, fruit and vegetable scraps and coffee grounds, whereas browns are high carbon and consist of fallen leaves, used kitchen paper, twigs and sawdust. For ideal composting conditions, you need to have an equal measure of both greens and browns in layers, too many browns will result in a slower composting process and too many greens may produce odour. To minimise odour, be sure to bury food scraps lower down in the compost pile. 

An adequate supply of oxygen is crucial, so make sure your pile is no more than 5 feet high by 5 feet wide and be sure to keep your compost moist, not wet. The process can take as little as 3 months or as long as a year – but it’s definitely worth the wait!