This year, International Compost Awareness Week will take place between 2 - 8 May. The theme is 'Give it a Grow' and Rodney residents are being encouraged to put their food and garden waste to good use in their gardens.
Removing organic waste from bags and bins is an easy way to save money on rubbish collection costs and composting reduces the need to buy artifical fertilisers. Starting your own composting system can potentially reduce your household’s contribution to landfill by around 50%.
Compost is great for improving soil quality and soil structure and preventing erosion. Compost can be used as mulch which helps to retain soil moisture, reducing the need to water the garden during drier spells. It’s a great starting mix for young seedlings and new plantings, providing essential nutrients for healthy growth throughout the growing season.
What to add in your compost bin:
Vegetable and fruit scraps, prunings and lawn clippings, tea bags and coffee grounds, vacuum dust, shredded paper and cardboard, used potting mix, egg shells, flowers.
What not to add in your compost bin:
Meat and bones, dairy products, diseased plants, metals, plastic and glass, animal manures, fat, magazines, large branches, weeds that have seeds or underground stems, bread or cake, sawdust from treated timber.
New to composting?
Come along to one of the free Create Your Own Eden workshops provided by Rodney District Council to find out how to set up a traditional compost, worm farm or Bokashi system.
Free Create Your Own Eden workshops:
Sun 2 May Warkworth Town Hall 2.30 – 4.30pm
Sun 16 May Orewa Community Centre 2.30 – 4.30pm
Sun 30 May Orewa Community Centre 2.30 – 4.30pm
To book a place on one of the workshops or receive a free composting guide please call the Council on 0800 426 5169.
Already a compost champion?
Think about additional things you could compost, such as eggs shells, tea bags or even the contents from your vacuum cleaner. If you are experiencing problems with your composting, experts from Rainbow Valley Farm run the Create Your Own Eden workshops will be on hand to answer all your questions and provide advice.