Council encourages home composting during International Compost Awareness Week

In recognition of International Compost Awareness Week, which takes place from Sunday 07 to Saturday 13 May 2023, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council is encouraging residents to start home composting.

Composting is the most environmentally friendly, natural and inexpensive process for disposing of your kitchen and garden waste creating a valuable and nutrient rich food for your garden.  This also helps to reduce the need to use fertiliser and pesticides which supports the Pesticide Reduction theme within the Council’s Biodiversity Strategy.

Composting also helps to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill where it produces methane gases as it decays over time which has a negative impact on the environment.  All households are provided with a brown 23L caddie or wheelie bin for food waste and we could encourage residents to continue to use these if composting is not for you.

The theme for International Compost Awareness Week is Healthier Soil Healthier Food which aims to address the issue of food poverty and the cost of living crisis by encouraging people to grow their own.  Healthy soil can help to create healthier food and a greater yield due to the natural and nutrient rich content of the compost.  Growing your own fruit and vegetables can also help to further reduce carbon emissions and help you to save money.

If you are interested in composting, the following few tips may help you to get started:

• Decide if you are going to start a compost heap or use a home composting bin which you can purchase from the Council;
• Find the right location in your garden – it should be reasonably sunny and have bare soil;
• Start gathering suitable material including green garden and kitchen waste including fruit and vegetable peelings; and brown waste including toilet roll holders, egg shells and cereal boxes;
• Place your material in the compost bin or on the compost heap. Ideally you should have between 25-50% green waste topped up with brown waste; and
• Regularly turn your compost to introduce air.

It can take between 6-12 months to create compost which is ready to be used in your garden.

For more information on composting or to purchase a compost bin, contact the Council’s Waste and Recycling team on 0300 303 1777 or email ephelpdesk@fermanaghomagh.com.