I’m Composting!!
The recycle & compost system where I live is supposed to go like this; we all have green boxes collected at the kerbside every week for glass, plastic bottles and paper (no cardboard), we have big green bins for compost waste shared between two houses and collected every two weeks, we all have big black bins for the little bit that’s left over and they are collected every second week. In reality this is what happens; very few people bother to recycle anything at all. Most people fill their big black bin with every thing and when it’s full they start to fill the big green bins (the ones intended to be shared and used for compost waste). The result is; every one complains that the black bins get too full and should be emptied every week not every two weeks (they would be fine if people used the system properly), the council workers refuse to remove the big green green bins because they don’t contain compost waste, and most importantly, and to the point……….…..
I had no where to put my compost waste!!
Well now I do, I am the very proud owner of my very own, brand new, compost bin!! This all started a week or so ago when a flyer from
‘NATURAL SCOTLAND’ & ‘WASTE AWARE SCOTLAND’
Came floating through my letter box. I was very impressed, the smallest and cheapest compost bin only cost £6.00, I ‘phoned immediately, ordered over the ‘phone and had delivery within the week. They even sent me very nice little leaflets (all printed on recycled paper of course), explaining what you can compost, how to compost it, what to if it’s too dry or too wet, how to tell when the compost is ready to use and lots more. 
. The bonus is, apparently you can compost paper AND cardboard, which means there will be more room in my big black bin ‘cos I’ll compost the cardboard and more room in my green recycle box ‘cos I’ll compost the paper. On top of all that, I shouldn’t have to buy potting compost next year, which is such a bonus. They even sent a little silver bin to keep in the kitchen to collect the kitchen scraps ready to go out to the compost bin.
The little kitchen bin comes complete with plastic liners made from potato starch which can be removed with the contents and thrown into the compost bin. WOW…… that bit I really liked, how good is that?? Plastic liners made from potato starch and designed to be thrown straight into the compost bin!! Seems there are all sorts of accessories I can buy for my compost bin, an aerator to turn it with, think a big stick would probably be just as good, a sieve to fine sieve your compost prior to use, liquid and powder activators to speed up the composting process, replacement potato starch liners, and even a little book to tell you all about composting. 
Even though my garden is small I do have this tiny area right at the back where I allow it to go wild. I have a little blue wooden garden divider just to partition off that part of the garden and I’ve recently put big pots behind the garden divider to stop it leaning and falling over. This seemed like the perfect place for my compost bin, so here it is……………….
It may be winter, there may be snow on the ground, but still I recycle in my garden. The composter remains in the corner and is fed with veggie peelings, coffee grounds and used herbal tea bags. The unwanted CD rack, which has been cluttering up my hallway for weeks, has found a new home nestling in between the Jasmin. 
