Composters
(Also known as: Digesters, Wormeries, Green cones, Home composting, Composting)
The council encourages home composting of food and garden waste. there are a number of different ways to compost.
Contact Details:
Address: Gateway
Southampton City Council
Civic Centre
Southampton
Postcode: SO14 7AY
Telephone: 0800 5 19 19 19
Email: actionline@southampton.gov.uk
Details of service:
Composting is the natural process of breaking down organic matter into a rich dark soil like material. Composting is quick easy and takes up little space. It has the benefits of reducing the amount of household rubbish you produce as well as improving your soil and plants.
It is important to have a good balance between wet, green materials such as grass clippings, food scraps, fresh leaves and dry, brown materials such as dry leaves, woody materials or paper. Only when the ratio is right will the compost pile generate the correct high temperature to produce good compost. There are many materials that can be composted, the table below provides examples of the green and brown materials as well as materials which you cannot compost.
Green | Medium | Brown | Avoid |
Grass cuttings | Tea leaves | Autumn leaves | Meat, chicken and fish leftovers |
Kitchen scraps | Coffee grinds | Small quantities of paper (torn of shredded) | Manure from meat eating animals such as dogs or cats |
Vegetable peelings | Fruit peelings | Straw or hay | Certain weeds such as docks, bindweek and dandelions |
Young weeds | Animal manure for non carnivores (sheep, cattle, horses, rabbits) | Small hedge clippins | Coal and peat ashes |
Small amounts of soil | Glossy magazines | ||
Egg shells | Chemically treated garden waste | ||
Wood ash | Diseased plants | ||
Animal carcasses |
If you are having problems with your compost bin read our problem solving suggestions.
Problem: | There are too many flies in my compost bin. |
Reason: | Probably means meat, fish or other fatty kitchen waste has been added to the compost bin. |
Solution: | Ensure material is well aerated and add a layer of brown material. |
Problem: | The compost bin has an unpleasant smell. |
Reason: | The contents is too wet and there is probably too much green material. |
Solution: | Add a layer of brown material and aerate. |
Problem: | The compost bin is heavy and very wet. |
Reason: | There could be a lack of drainage below the container base and a large proportion of wet material. |
Solution: | Add a layer of brown material and aerate. |
Problem: | The compost is slow to mature. |
Reason: | The air temperature could be too low and there could be too much dry material. |
Solution: | Add a layer of wet material. |
If you haven`t got a compost bin you can take your green garden waste to your local household waste recycling centre, or you can use the kerbside collection for green garden rubbish.
Last updated: 19 October 2007
