Composting campaign launches in Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley

A newly launched campaign across South Yorkshire aims to encourage people to compost kitchen and garden waste, to help the environment.
Children compost banana skinsChildren compost banana skins
Children compost banana skins

Prize competitions organised by the ;Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham Waste Partnership will include a poster competition for schools and a social media competition for residents.

Plastic compost bins are effective and easy to set up, and available at most DIY stores and online.  Check if your council offers a subsidised rate on compost bins at www.getcomposting.com

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ideally, compost bins should be placed on bare soil in a reasonably sunny area. 

If you have to compost on concrete or hard ground, place a layer of paper and twigs at the bottom to help worms and other creatures colonise the bin and help the composting process.

Feed the compost bin with a 50/50 mixture of brown and green materials.  Brown materials include egg shells, cereal and tea packets, egg boxes and scrunched up thin cardboard.  Green materials include fruit waste, tea bags, cut flowers, and vegetable peelings.

It takes between nine and 12 months for compost to become ready for use.  Then it can be used in the garden, on flowerbeds, around trees, in patio containers and on fruit and vegetable patches.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Although the waste treatment facility at Manvers diverts 96 per cent of household waste from landfill, composting at home gets more use out of garden waste, saves space in bins and money on fertilisers.

Community education liaison officer, Rebecca Wilson, said: “It’s a win win situation because it’s beneficial for the environment and your pocket.”

School children will have the opportunity to design a poster to promote composting.  Six schools will win a compost bin and gardening equipment.

A social media competition for residents of Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham will give participants a chance to win their own compost bin???????????????????????????????????.