Tips for reusing garden waste

What is garden waste?

It’s the waste that you generate in your garden such as grass clippings, weeds, prunings, dead plants, leaves, twigs and branches or logs. It can also include some kitchen waste that can go in your compost bin like veg peelings, tea leaves, coffee grounds and fruit.

All of this will end up in your brown (garden waste) or black (general waste) bins unless you compost it. Here’s how to divert garden waste from your bins into a really beneficial product that will enrich your garden.

What can I do with my waste?

All of this kitchen and garden waste, apart from branches and logs, can go into a compost bin, where it is recycled or rotted down into rich organic matter that you can use. The woody waste can’t go into a compost bin but can be used in many other ways.

All of this kitchen and garden waste, apart from branches and logs, can go into a compost bin,

What is compost?

Compost is decomposed or recycled organic matter (plants, grass clippings, kitchen waste and cardboard for example) that has broken down into a rich, moist, crumbly, dark brown and earthy material that can be used in the garden. It’s full of nutrients and adds goodness back into your soil to feed your plants.

Why is it important?

Most of your brown bin (garden waste) contents can be composted, but did you know that a lot of what goes in our black bins can be composted at home as well? If we can stop that going into the bin then it doesn’t have to be collected and transported using large lorries and it doesn’t have to be sent to landfill or an incinerator. That means less energy used and fewer emissions (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxides). The big plus for you though is you retain all of that goodness in your garden and can feed your plants for free.

Did you know that a lot of what goes in our black bins can be composted at home as well