International Compost Awareness Week 2022
Nottinghamshire County Council and its recycling and waste partner Veolia, share the recipe for home composting success as part of International Compost Awareness Week 2022.
Composting, whether large scale on an Eco-farm or micro scale from a single apartment, is the most environmentally friendly way to dispose of food and garden waste. As any gardener will know, composting is an inexpensive, natural process that transforms organic waste into a valuable and nutrient rich food for your garden or house plants. It’s simple to make and use.
The compost produced at home benefits your garden by adding nutrients, improving soil structure, maintaining moisture levels and keeps your soil's pH balance in check. Home composting is also an anaerobic process that does not produce methane - an additional benefit in the fight against climate change.
With so many different ways to compost at home there is a method to suit every household, from a simple pile of grass and cuttings in the corner of your garden to a three-tier wooden structure, a rotating tumbler to a bokashi bin, or even a green cone that can handle every type of food waste.
Compost bin giveaway
Want to start composting at home?
To help you get started we’re giving away 45 compost bins to Nottinghamshire residents.
Enter by Sunday 7 May 2022 for your chance to win.
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Children’s Gardening Week
28 May to 5 June is National Children’s Gardening Week, which celebrates the fun that gardens hold for kids. Why not join in and teach your young ones about growing fruit and vegetables? Did you know that radishes only take four weeks to grow and you don’t even need a garden, they can be grown in pots.
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Recycling Centres open for the bank holidays
Don't forget that your local recycling centre is open from 8am to 8pm daily until the end of September, including the bank holidays. Please sort your waste into types before visiting, where possible, and allow plenty of time to unload your waste once at your chosen site. Sites may be busy at weekends so please visit only if you really need to and try and visit at quieter times, such as evenings. Please never queue on the highway.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycling Fund
There’s still plenty of time for community groups, schools and charities to secure up to £1,000 for projects that help Nottinghamshire to Reduce, Reuse or Recycle waste.
Funding can be granted for a variety of projects and activities including in-person or online workshops, social media campaigns, practical equipment, education activities or even promotion and awareness raising. This could be anything from swap shop events, repair workshops, community gardens (that make use of reused, reclaimed, or recycled materials), food growing, food waste reduction initiatives and composting schemes. These projects could be at school, place of work, online or at a local event. We’re looking for creative and innovative ideas that inspire others to think about waste in a different way.
Applications are considered annually and the next deadline is Friday 10 June 2022.
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National Fish and Chip Day
On Friday 27 May the nation will be celebrating all that is great about the classic dish - fish and chips.
If you’re making a batch at home please remember that cooking oil cannot be placed in your rubbish or recycling bins, nor should it be poured into your sink as it can cause blocked drains.
Instead, used cooking oil can be transformed into green electricity by taking it to one of the 12 Nottinghamshire Recycling Centres.
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Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations
If you’re holding an event or street party to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee please consider these top tips to reduce your waste:
- Avoid single use plastics and instead use reusable cups, plates, napkins, tablecloths and cutlery.
- Cater for the right number of guests to avoid any food going to waste.
- If there is any food leftover make sure you store it correctly and use it in a tasty leftover recipe the next day! Or you could even let your guests take some home with them.
- Choose products with minimal packaging and/or packaging that can be easily recycled.
- Keep decorations simple using natural materials or those that can be easily recycled or why not try to make bunting from old textiles?
- Keep a recycling bin handy for your guests to pop their empty drinks cans and bottles into.
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Remember your bags when you pop to the shops!
The number of single use plastic bags has reduced by a whopping 95% since the charge was introduced in 2015. This is great news for the planet but the tricky part is remembering to take your bags to the shops with you. Here are a few tricks to help you remember:
- Put your bags under your car/house keys
- Put your bags next to your front door
- Unpack your bags and put them straight in your car boot/bicycle trailer
- Stick a “remember bags” post it to your front door at eye level
- Programme a reminder into your phone to “get bags” timed for five minutes before you need to leave the house
- Include BAGS at the top of your shopping list
- Always keep a shopping bag in your handbag/laptop bag/briefcase
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