Q2A

Got an enquiry ........

Hi there

I have just got into recycling and wud like to know how to crate a home compost bin to get
rid of food waste etc? I have tried to find some stuff on google but nothing is that simple.

Also, where can i buy the equipment i need and how to do stop rats coming (my mum is
complaining this will happen!).

Thanks q2a

This is our reply.......

Hi comost bin, thanks for your enquiry about starting to compost. We hope what we say
in our reply will reassure your Mum about the rats!  And we are really sorry to have
been so long in posting our reply - we were unable to access our website over Easter

and just before, but we are back in business again now!

There are lots of places where you can buy composting bins. First of all there is your own
County Council, Lancashire. You can order a bin by ringing them on 0844 571 4444 or
you can order one through their website: www.lancashire.getcomposting.com.
Prices start at £14 for a 220 litre capacity composting bin. You can also buy them from
stores like Homebase and through websites e.g. www.recyclenow.com.

From our own research, your compost bin is unlikely to attract rats unless they are
already well-established in your area, and if they are already established there are ways to
discourage them:

# Don't compost cooked or processed foods, dairy products, meat, fish or bones.
Try to reduce the amount of food waste generally by only buying what you need and eating
it before the 'use by' dates. Try to use up any leftovers in soups, stews, stir fries, curries
etc. You may need to get the rest of your household to co-operate with this

# Add garden waste (grass cuttings, leaves, weeds twigs etc.) to your bin as well to
keep the contents moist, or add some water occasionally. Despite the fact that some
rats live in sewers they really prefer a dry environment

# Site your bin away from fences or walls so as not to create a secret 'rat run'. It's
best if it's situated in a part of your garden or yard that's visited or walked past regularly
and that's in partial or full sunlight. Rats don't like being in open spaces or being disturbed

# You can fit chicken wire to the bottom of your bin to further prevent them from
getting in, available from builders merchants. If you buy enough to fold it over 2 or 3 times
the holes will be too small for the rats to get in but big enough to let in worms and other
beneficial insects

# Sinking your bin about 6 inches into the ground and piling the dug-out soil round
the base both inside and out will be an extra deterrent. You could also stack a layer of
bricks round the base

# If you have to put your bin on a hard surface put a layer of soil, paper, garden
waste etc. in the bottom to start it off and encourage worms and other beneficial insects to
get in (don't forget the chicken wire and bricks)

You may find your bin attracts a range of insects e.g. fruit flies, ants, slugs, worms but
most of these are good for composting as they aerate the compost and produce beneficial
waste products. You can keep the number of fruit flies down by covering any waste you
put in your bin with a sheet of newspaper, or wrap the waste in newspaper before you put
it in the bin. Ants are generally good because they aerate the compost but if you spot red
ants (the sort that sting) you can discourage them by stirring your bin regularly, keeping
the content moist by adding garden waste, peelings etc. and spraying the red ants with
water. Slugs and worms are good for the same reason as ants. Don't use any kind of
insect killer/repellent as it will kill off the beneficial insects and other organisms and stop
the composting process. Keeping the contents of the bin moist will keep most insects
and other animals to a minimum.

It will take about 9-12 months for your compost to be ready to use. Keep topping it up
and stirring it regularly. You can buy an aerator from the County Council or use
something like a garden fork, hoe, stout stick etc. You can check its progress through
the hatch in the bottom of the bin. When it's ready it should be dark brown with a crumbly
texture and an earthy smell.

If you have got wasted food that is cooked and you want to compost it you need a different
sort of bin. These can be quite expensive so it is worth looking around. Also, while it
doesn't at the moment, your local council may have special offers in the future on for these
which could save you more money.

Some websites to look at are; www.greencone.com and the more expensive -
www.smartsoil.co.uk

All these are rat proof when set up correctly.

As well as the County website we've mentioned above we also found the site
www.recyclenow.com very helpful for our reply.

We hope you find this information useful. Please email us again if you think we can help.
Happy composting!

Best wishes from q2a.

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