Compost

The Recycle Now Home Composting Campaign is a government funded scheme to encourage people to reduce the amount of organic waste sent to landfill. Recycle Now subsidises the cost of the bins and the home delivery.

The scheme will play its part in the nation-wide drive covering 6.5 million households across England and Scotland to promote the recycling of kitchen and garden waste and reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfill.

Purchase Composters, Water Butts and Wormeries

You can purchase composters, water butts and wormeries at discounted prices from the Essex County Council getcomposting website.

• Essex County Council getcomposting website

Around a third of the rubbish we produce can be composted at home.

Residents will be surprised to discover that it's not just fruit and vegetable peelings and prunings that can go in the compost bin - cardboard, eggshells and teabags make for great compost too.

Things you can add to your compost bin include:

• Tea bags
  Grass cuttings
  Vegetable peelings (including lettuce and cabbage leaves)
  Old flowers
  Fruit scraps (including citrus peel)
  Nettles
  Coffee grounds and filter paper
  Spent bedding plants
  Comfrey leaves
  Rhubarb leaves
  Young annual weeds (e.g. chickweed and speedwell)
  Pond algae and seaweed (in moderation)
  Garden prunings
  Dry leaves, twigs and hedge clippings
  Straw and hay
  Bedding from vegetarian pets
  Egg shells (crush them first to speed up composting)
  Egg boxes
  Cereal boxes
  Newspaper (scrunched up)
  Toilet and kitchen roll tubes
  Corrugated cardboard packaging (scrunched up in small amounts)
  Wool

Recycle Now - Home Composting website

A Home Composting Advisor will be working closely with the Essex Councils. Local residents can call 0845 076 0223 for advice and information on home composting.

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