Composting
Home composting is a great way of getting free compost in your own garden.
You can compost at least 30% of your household waste.
Many people think that garden waste is the only thing you can put in your compost bin. There are actually lots of everyday waste items in your home and garden that you can add to enrich your compost.
Items you can compost
- Tea bags, coffee grounds and filter papers
- Egg shells and cardboard egg boxes
- Vegetable and fruit peelings
- Old flowers
- Shredded confidential documents
- Dry leaves, twigs and hedge clippings
- Bedding from vegetarian pets
- Grass cuttings
- Vacuum bag contents
Items you can't compost
- Cooked food
- Fish
- Dairy cheese
- Bread, pastry, cakes
- Meat
- Cat litter
You can put food waste in your grey food waste caddy. Other waste such as cat litter should go in the black general waste bin. Find out more on our what goes in which bin page.
How to get started with home composting
Find information on how to start composting on the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) website.
Water butts
A water butt is a plastic container that you can put in your garden to collect rainwater. It is typically connected to the guttering on your home which collects rainwater from your rooftop.
You can use this water for the plants and flowers in your garden, or even to wash your car.
Benefits of using a water butt
- Rainwater is free to use
- You will save money on your water bill as you reduce the amount you use from the mains supply
- Lowers your home's carbon emissions as rainwater doesn't require energy or treatment
- Standard water butts can hold around 200 litres of rainwater at a time
- Water butts are suitable for nearly all gardens, but you need a level surface to place it on
- If you don't have an outside tap, a water butt saves you the hassle of filling your watering can in the kitchen and carrying it outside
How to get started with a water butt
Find information on collecting, storing and re-using rainwater on the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) website. Their article also covers how to minimise health risks from stored water.