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Waste collection can be frustrating at times, especially when the clutter piles up and you cannot toss it in the bin due to its bulky size. Additionally, councils do not accept all kinds of waste, and you must either arrange for a special collection from the council or dispose of the waste yourself. Council collection also comes with a restriction to clean bulky items only; they accept bulky white goods, sofas, fridges, etc. For garden waste, trees, wood waste, rubbles, etc., you have to arrange the disposal yourself.
So, what do you do with rubbish that the council doesn’t pick up? The most efficient method to reduce waste is to recycle. You can recycle your household waste in different ways to get rid of it. One of the easiest methods to recycle biodegradable waste is composting. We have compiled an extensive guide to making compost that will improve the solid of your garden.
What is Composting?
Composting is a natural method of decomposing organic waste to recycle it. It is simply the conversion of waste into nutrient-rich matter that can improve your garden soil. The decomposed matter, also known as compost, fertilises the soil, increases its water holding capacity, and makes it more favourable for plant growth. It is by far the most convenient and cost-efficient method to reduce waste.
What to Compost?
Choosing the right material to add to your compost heap is crucial because it impacts not just the composting process but also the soil in your garden. Garden waste, such as grasses, leaves (green and fallen), wood residues, hay, sawdust, and so on, as well as household waste such as food scraps, eggshells, vegetable scraps, etc., are perfect for making a compost that will quickly prepare and enrich your garden soil with nutrients.
To get rid of the bulky waste that cannot be composted, you can arrange a special collection, from the council hire a skip, or get rubbish removal services. The best way is to hire removal services; rubbish removal in Birmingham and other regions in the UK is very affordable. A good company will remove all the junk without any delay.
What You Should Not Put In Your Compost
You should not include metal, plastic, fat products, oil waste, pesticide-treated leaves, meat, chemical waste, and other non-organic waste products in your compost. These products delay the composting process and also make the compost smelly. Chemical waste and leaves treated with pesticides can also harm your garden soil; therefore, you should not add them to your compost pile.
Balancing the Compost Matter
To make good quality compost, keep the green and brown materials balanced. For efficient mixing of the compost matter, you can put brown materials (dry leaves, sawdust, newspaper, etc.) between two layers of green material (fresh leaves, vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, etc.) By making a good mixture of green and brown components, you can make sure that your compost retains moisture and decomposes efficiently.
Selecting the Right Location
You can speed up the decomposition of your compost by placing it in a location where it does not get dry quickly. The right spot for making compost is a place with ample shading. A shady place will retain the moisture of compost and prevent it from drying up quickly. Depending on the size of your compost, you can choose a location.
You can make an open compost container, get a compost bin or tumbler, or use a normal rubbish bin to make compost. To make an open compost bin, select a shaded area that is in direct contact with the soil. After cleaning the area, make a small fence out of wires, and dump the compost there. You can also use a compost tumbler; it can be rotated to mix the compost matter, generate heat and speed up the process.
Let It Decompose
After preparing the compost pile, add a little water to the compost and let nature do its work. Worms and insects will find their way to the waste heap, and they will start breaking down waste and food scraps. Compost activators and special worms for composting are also available; however, it is not necessary to purchase them as decomposition can also occur naturally, but if you want to speed up the process, you can use them.
Turn the Compost Pile
After a few weeks of making the compost, mix up the heap by turning it. It is essential to turn the pile to aerate it and keep track of the moisture. By turning your compost pile, you can make sure that all the materials in compost get the same amount of heat and moisture. Avoid turning the compost too often as it will not keep the temperature constant, and the compost will take more time to cook. Turning the compost pile every three to four weeks is essential to maintain the compost quality and keep the composting rate constant.
The Final Compost
When you turn the compost heap and notice a dark brown material that smells like wet earth, your compost is ready. The compost will be smaller in size but denser than the original material. The final compost matter should be dark brown with an earthy smell, and the individual ingredients at the beginning of composting should not be visible. You can add the compost to your garden layer it above the garden soil to grow plants, flowers, vegetables, etc.
