1. Quick guide to composting
There are many different ways of making our lifestyle greener.
Composting is a cheap and natural process of transforming your
kitchen and garden waste into a valuable food for your backyard.
Composting reduces the amount of waste being sent to landfill,
which helps reduce the amount of harmful greenhouse gasses
being created. Compost will also improve the condition of your soil
so your plants and flowers can flourish.
1 You can build your own composting heap or buy a ready-
made bin from many outlets. Building your own is surprisingly
easy - it only requires four posts and some wire netting. The posts
should be put into the ground enclosing an area of one square
metre. The wire can then be attached to the posts. Make sure
that the front part is easy to detach so you can access the finished 4 Remember to cover your composting heap and leave it to
compost. rot. It’s not a quick process and it can take up to 12 months for the
waste to decompose. This obviously doesn’t mean that you can’t
2 Put a couple of layers of straw and twigs at the bottom
add any more materials to the top of the pile – feel free to top it
of the composting heap or bin so the decomposing waste can drain
up throughout the process. When your compost is ready, just open
properly.
up the front of the bin or box and dig out the dark and crumbly
3 When you’re ready to compost, make sure only suitable fertilizer from the bottom.
materials go into your bin (see the list below for some ideas). There
are many things that can make the process more efficient – for There are some types of waste that work for compost, and some
instance, put some water on dry materials, or if the compost is too that should be left off the heap. Please refer to the list below for
wet, add some cardboard to absorb the moisture. a rough idea of what should and shouldn’t go in your composting
bin.
For more handy tips for your home, visit the npower blog.
In Out
Raw vegetable peelings Meat, fat and bones
Coffee grounds, tea leaves and bags Synthetic fabrics
Soft green prunings Cooked vegetables
Cardboard e.g., egg boxes, cardboard tubes Roots and seed heads
Sawdust Nappies
Wood shavings Diseased plants
Fallen leaves, old plants, nettles Toxic materials
Twigs and bark, egg shells Nonbiodegradable materials
Shredded paper Lime (high alkaline pH can kill composting action)
Fruit peels (not limes) Cat and dog droppings
Paper (though it’s better if it’s recycled)
npower is a registered trademark and the trading name of Npower Limited (Registered No. 3653277), Npower Gas Limited (Registered No. 2999919), Npower Northern Limited (Registered No. 3432100) who also act as an agent for Npower Northern Supply
Limited (Registered No. 2845740) for the supply of electricity, Npower Yorkshire Limited (Registered No. 3937808) who also act as an agent for Npower Yorkshire Supply Limited (Registered No. 4212116) for the supply of electricity. Registered in England and
Wales. Registered Office: Windmill Hill Business Park, Whitehill Way, Swindon SN5 6PB.