Garden Waste
The garden waste that we collect is put into special vehicles that start to break the material down by mixing and churning it.
It is then taken to one of three sites at Hills near Swindon, Dimmer in Somerset and Green Ore near Wells along with the garden waste collected from the Recycling Centres. It is shredded and put into large open air mounds called windrows.
It takes about 3 months for the shredded material to be turned into compost.
The compost is turned regularly to add oxygen and moisture content is measured throughout the process.
Once the compost is ready, it is sieved to a specific size and used on farmland. Some of the compost that is produced is also sold to residents of Bath and North East Somerset.
If you are interested in buying some of this compost, please go to Buying Locally Produced Compost.
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Home Composting
What's happening inside your compost bin?
As you add materials to your compost bin they will start to break down naturally with very little additional input.
Compost is broken down by a whole host of living creatures ranging from worms, insects and microbes.
These creatures work best when there is lots of oxygen. This can be done by turning the compost from time to time.
They also need warmth. Putting your compost bin in a sunny place and adding materials in bulk rather than little by little all help to generate heat. The hotter your compost bin, the faster it will work.
Moisture also has an effect. If there's too little, nothing will happen. If there's too much it will go soggy. Composting works best if things are kept damp.
When is the compost ready?
Your compost will be ready when it is dark brown and smells nice and earthy. It should feel like normal soil.
Your compost may not look exactly like the compost you buy at the shops - it may still have larger items such as twigs and eggshells in it. This is not a problem. Simply sift out the larger items along with any material that still needs composting and return them to your compost bin.
Your freshly sieved compost is nutrient rich, will improve soil structure, retain moisture, maintain the pH of the soil and suppress disease.
Compost can be added to flowerbeds and borders, can be used as a mulch and around trees. It can also be mixed with soil and used for pots and patio containers, to help feed lawns and for healthier herbs and vegetables.