Home Composting is a great way to dispose of organic garden and kitchen waste, turning it into a useful product for your garden. There are lots of ways to compost at home.  Braintree District Council promotes the use of home composting bins.  These are recycled plastic bins which will fit in even the smallest gardens. The subsidised bins are available through a partnership with Essex County Council and the Waste Resource Action Programme (WRAP).                                        

Around a third of the rubbish we produce can be composted at home.  Organic waste is biodegradable and when it is buried in landfill sites it rots and produces methane gas. Methane gas is a major cause of global warming.  It is not necessary to send organic waste to landfill sites as it can be converted into a useful product by householders. Compost bins can be purchased which convert food waste and other organic material into compost.  Composting is one of the Best Practicable Environmental Options for the reduction of waste to landfill

It is not just fruit and vegetable peelings and prunings that can go in the compost bin -You can compost almost anything that is organic, i.e. anything that has been grown.

Three types of compost bin are available through the Essex Home Composting Scheme.

**THE LAST DAY FOR ORDERING BINS FOR DELIVERY BEFORE CHRISTMAS  IS THURSDAY 11TH DECEMBER**

For the best results from your compost bin it should be positioned in a sunny spot on well drained soil. The soil below the bin should be loosened to improve drainage and increase access for worms and bacteria.

Place a few inches of kitchen waste on the soil at the bottom of the bin, this will attract worms and bacteria to the bin and increase the rate of compost formation.

For the best results, organic waste should be put in the bin in layers of different material between 6 12 cm deep.Ensure your compost bin contains some grass cuttings or vegetarian animal manure. They heat up and speed up the composting process.

However they should be mixed with other organic waste to avoid slime formation.
It is essential that your compost bin is kept warm and moist. Placing the bin in the sun and out of the wind is therefore preferable.

Ensure you always put the lid on your compost bin and do not let the compost dry out.To ensure that air is getting to the centre of the bin, turn the material regularly. This will also speed up the decomposition process.

Your compost is ready for use when the material does not resemble anything that you put in the bin. Collect the compost from the small hatch at the bottom of the bin. The compost can then be spread on the garden where it will act as a fertiliser. 

Councils have teamed up with WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) to provide the bins - along with a free guide to composting and a useful sticker highlighting what can and cannot go in the bin. They are delivered through a mail order scheme direct to people's doors.

To order your new compost bin online please click on the link under ' useful links' or call 0845 077 0757

For advice and information on home composting telephone 0845 600 0323 or visit - www.recyclenow.com/compost