Give it a Grow!
Tenth annual Compost Awareness Week (2-8 May 2010).
‘Give it a Grow’ is the call backing the tenth annual Compost Awareness Week (2-8 May 2010). This year, the national Recycle Now campaign and Oxfordshire Waste Partnership (OWP) are encouraging us all to give new composting activities a go (or Give it a Grow) to do our bit for the environment.
Over 40,000 compost bins have been sold by local councils across Oxfordshire and although around thirty percent of us already compost at home, there are lots more things people can try. For example, around sixty percent of people say they have never tried composting waste such as scrunched up paper or the contents from a vacuum cleaner, and around fifty percent of people have never tried using peat-free compost (1).
Eiles Robinson, Household Waste Reduction Officer at Oxfordshire County Council coordinates home composting activities on behalf of OWP. She says: “This Compost Awareness Week we’re encouraging everyone to compost at home. Even those of us who are already having a go could compost more things more often, or try new things, such as using greener, peat free composts. However people choose to get involved, there are plenty of new things to try, which will not only help the environment but also help them grow a greener garden.”
A new compost bin offer has launched in the county where residents can buy a compost bin from as little as £14. Eiles explains: “Our new offer includes more bins, a special half price deal when you buy a second bin and for the first time we’re providing wooden compost bins and wormeries. To find out more visit www.oxfordshirewaste.gov.uk or call 08450 50 45 50.”
As part of the week, there will be activities across the Oxfordshire enabling the public to find out more about the art of composting. Volunteer Master Composters will be attending events to answer questions and share their expertise with others.
Sue Baines, an active volunteer Master Composter, says: “It’s really useful to be able to chat to others and offer advice on how they can get the best out of their compost bins. Compost Awareness Week highlights the benefits of using peat-free compost, and there’s nothing better than homemade compost. A compost bin can be emptied in six to nine months whereas a cubic metre of peat from a peat reserve can take 1,000 years to develop! Explaining this to people should help them make the right choice for the environment.”
- ICM research, March 2009 and Exodus Market Research, November 2008 carried out for Recycle Now campaign.
- Details of home compost bin prices for Oxfordshire households.
