More households have been going green, using composting to manage their garden and organic household waste.
Now North Lincolnshire Council has introduced a new scheme to help those who want to do more for the environment.
The scheme will give residents the option of exchanging their brown bin with a new free home composter, focussing efforts on recycling a greater range of household waste rather than throwing food waste away.
The current garden waste collections are suspended but are under constant review and it is hoped collections will resume soon.
Home composting not only enables people to have more choice over how to manage waste, but is more sustainable and better for the environment. Composting at home for just one year can save global warming gases equivalent to all the CO2 a kettle produces in a year or that which a washing machine produces in three months.
It is simple to do and a lot of daily household waste can be recycled. This includes shredded paper and torn cardboard to fallen leaves, raw fruit and vegetables, used tea bags and grass cuttings.
If you have a garden, you could recycle your household and garden waste into compost rather than throwing it away, transforming it into a valuable and nutrient rich food for your plants, which is inexpensive and easy to make.
Free home composters on offer will be 220 litres or 330 litres, so people can choose what the best option for their garden would be. A ten litre bag of compost can cost between £3 and £4 so you could save up to £115 on average by making your own using one of the 330 litre bins.
You can find lots more information on getting started at the home composting page on the North Lincolnshire Council website, including other key ingredients and top tips.
Cllr Rob Waltham, Leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said:
“We have seen more and more residents composting their garden and organic household waste in recent weeks, which is making a big difference to our carbon footprint. To support peoples’ efforts we are launching a new composting scheme to help those who want to do more for the environment.
“Residents can choose to swap their brown bin for a composter free of charge to support their environmentally friendly ways.
“For the sake of our younger generations we need to consider our impact on the future of the planet. I have taken the decision to hand back my brown bin and to compost more of my household and garden waste at home. I know that more and more families with children are becoming environmentally aware and composting at home could in part help contribute towards a more stable future for these young people, which is why I am prepared to make this change.”
Cllr David Rose, cabinet members for Children and Families said
“Many young people and families are passionate about the environment and they want to take an active part in preserving our future. It is important we realise it isn’t just garden waste you can put in a composter, you can also add raw fruit and vegetables, tea bags and shredded cardboard and paper, which will reduce the amount of waste going into our general waste bins.”
Anyone who wants to register for a free composter can complete the online form. Further details on composting at home can be found on the home composting page.
