Rubbish Question! 14 May 2009 at 11:49AM edited 19 May 2009 at 8:13PM in Old Style MoneySaving 19 replies 7.8K views

Paula_anne

We put ours in our wormery, along with cardboard and eggshells etc.

jwil

Hi, sorry for hijacking. The reason you can't put food waste in with your garden waste is due to the animal by-products regulations that were brought in after the foot and mouth outbreak.

Any food waste that is composted commercially needs to be done in an enclosed environment where it is protected from wildlife and vermin who could spread it around the landscape and potentially spread diseases.

Most garden waste is composted outside in windrows so it is not possible to accept food waste in these. Those councils that do accept it with the garden waste are most likely composting using an 'in-vessel' composter which essentially sterilises the waste before it is composted.

If you don't have room for a compost bin, then a wormery or bokashi bin would be the way to go, as suggested before

Yorkielass

jwil is right, where I live the garden waste is composted presumably in the open and then local farmers spread it on their land and they don't want any food waste at all in there. We have a small garden but have made space for a compost bin and it's been really helpful when filling our new raised beds recently!

GreenMan

geordie_joe wrote: »

Why not? Apart from the fuel used to get it there, which won't be much!

I think the point he/she is concerned about is that food waste going into landfill is an unecessary waste of energy - i.e. the energy used in the whole food production process. Food waste does not need to be waste and is a valuable source of compost which has many of its own benefits including reducing the need for fertilisers and pesticides and reduces take up of peat based compost products to name but two. Food waste into landfill is also expensive and the UK is light years behind other countries on this and is facing fines by the European Parliament over failing targets. We're rapidly running out of landfill space. In addition the gases realeased in landfill include Methane which is a key contributor to global warming.

juliapenguin

Hi there

I can't have a compost bin at the moment, but we have a lidded bucket in the kitchen and a friend who has an allotment calls in on me en route and takes it away then puts it in his compost bin. Do you know anyone who has an allotment? If my allotment friend is away I take it to another friend with a big garden. After years of composting I can't just put the veg waste in the bin (we have quite a lot of it). Yes, it's a bit of trouble but I think it's worth it.

shaz22

Recycling and/or re-using everything, or passing things on to people who can use them is definitely the money saving way to go. If we don't local authorities will soon be fined by Europe for putting too much into landfill and they will, of course, pass that charge on to us in the form of council tax hikes etc. So if your council doesn't do food waste and/or decent recycling collections start lobbying and also lobby the supermarkets and fast food outlets etc to reduce packaging and waste.

consultant31

I have a neighbour with rabbits and guinea pigs who's always happy to take my fruit and veg peelings for the animals.

slick_detective

Bunny200 wrote: »

Thats what prompted the question, I contacted the council for clarification over egg shells as I wasn't sure whether they would be ok or not and was told that we couldn't put any kitchen waste in there even uncooked waste as it would have to be treated differently. I'm with you I can't see whats different between grass cuttings and potato peeling but thats what I was told.

well,what the eye don't see the eye the chef gets away with so just hide your egg shells under the grass cuttings and stuff and they ain't gonna bother all they do with it is compost it and sell it on(i think)and egg shells are brilliant for compost they consist of calcium maybe i could brush my teeth with them:rotfl::rotfl:besides the woman on the phone was probably in menopause and moody or just unenthuastic.now your gonna tell me it was a man aren't you:rolleyes: besides some councils really have no idea what they are doing it's as if they're still on the hemp and they're probably claiming for it too :rotfl:

squeekymoo

Bunny200 wrote: »

I was wondering what everyone does with their kitchen scraps? I found out recently that although the council collect GARDEN waste we can't put kitchen scraps in it so now I'm in quandry as to what to do with it all. I don't have the room for a compost bin in the garden but I produce a lot of vegetable/fruit waste in the kitchen that I don't want to put in landfill. I would use the compost but can't really find the room for it in the garden. What do you do?

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we must be the lucky ones as bexley council collect our compostable waste weekly including all garden and kitchen scraps - we are encouraged to 'scrape the plate' so cooked food and raw can go in - it does get a bit stinky in the summer though but small price to pay. i think they heat treat the waste to make compost whihc you can then buy from the council