To celebrate Compost Awareness Week (May 6-12) Essex residents can bag themselves some free compost by coming along to a special giveaway event in Braintree.
The giveaway takes place at the Discovery Centre in Great Notley Country Park on Saturday May 12 from 10-3pm. Residents are advised to bring heavy duty bags and a shovel so they can bag up their own compost.
The giveaway have been organised by Essex County Council, using compost made from recycled garden waste collected at the kerbside and at recycling centres. The compost will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.
Home composting helps to keep garden and household waste from going to landfill, and produces nutritious compost which can be used on flower beds, vegetable plots, patio planters, hanging baskets and window boxes.
Almost a third of household waste can be home composted, including some uncooked kitchen scraps (including banana skins, apple cores and vegetable peelings), teabags, crushed eggshells, small pieces of paper and cardboard.
A big garden is not needed in order to get composting at home. There are a range of options available, such as wormeries that can be used in a small outdoor space. Using a kitchen composter with a home compost bin can increase the amount of food items that can be home composted (including meat, cheese and cooked food).
County councillor Kevin Bentley,said: “I urge residents to take advantage of our free compost giveaways and give their gardens a boost in time for the summer. Home composting is another way that we can reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill, and Compost Awareness Week is the ideal time to get started.”
For details of other events taking place in Essex as part of Compost Awareness Week visit www.recycleforessex.co.uk.
