Compost bins
Approximately 30% of the contents of your bin are kitchen scraps and garden waste, which are organic materials and can be turned into compost for your garden.
What can I compost?
Here's some information about what you can add to your bin to make the best compost. Aim for a balance of 50% greens and 50% browns in your compost bin to get the right mix.
'Greens'
Quick to rot and provide important nitrogen and moisture.
- Animal manure with straw
- Annual weeds
- Bindweed
- Bracken
- Brussels sprout stalk
- Carrot tops
- Citrus peel
- Coffee grounds
- Comfrey leaves
- Cut flowers
- Deadly Nightshade
- Fruit peelings and pulp
- Fruit seeds
- Grass mowings
- Hay
- Hedge clippings
- House plants
- Ivy leaves
- Nettles
- Old bedding plants
- Perennial weeds
- Poisonous plants
- Rhubarb leaves
- Seaweed
- Soft prunings and plant debris
- Tea leaves and bags
- Urine
- Vegetable peelings and pulp
'Browns'
Slower to rot, provide carbon & fibre and allow air pockets to form.
- Autumn leaves
- Cardboard
- Christmas tree
- Corn starch liners
- Cotton towels
- Cotton wool
- Egg boxes
- Egg shells
- Evergreen prunings
- Hair
- Natural corks
- Nuts
- Paper bags
- Privet
- Straw
- Sweetcorn cobs
- Thorny prunings
- Tomato plants
- Used kitchen paper
- Vacuum cleaner contents
- Wood ash
- Wool
Keep this out!
Certain things should never be placed in your bin.
- Bones – may attract pests
- Bread – may attract pests
- Cans – will not degrade
- Cat litter – may contain disease
- Cigarette ends – chemicals may be released into the compost
- Cling film – will not degrade
- Coal ash – contaminants may cause damage to plants
- Crisp packets – will not degrade
- Dairy products – may attract pests
- Disposable nappies – health risk
- Dog faeces – may contain disease
- Dog food – may attract pests
- Drink cartons – will not degrade
- Meat and fish scraps – may attract pests
- Olive oil – may attract pests
- Plastic bags – will not degrade
- Plastic bottles – will not degrade
- Soiled tissues – may be a health risk
The benefits of home composting
- Composting diverts organic waste from landfill and helps to reduce the build up of green house gasses such as methane.
- Compost is rich in nutrients and can provide an excellent soil conditioner for your garden. It is free and is a complete fertiliser for all plants and vegetables. It provides basic plant food and a soil conditioner called humus, which improves both soil fertility and structure.
- Compost can be used instead of harmful fertilisers and peat.
Purchasing a compost bin
We no longer offer a subsidised service. Instead, you can purchase compost bins from garden centres, DIY shops and online retailers.