Composting Bins, Toilets, Reedbeds – Advice, Suppliers and Information

Composting occurs via an aerobic decomposition of biodegradable organic matter. The resulting compost can then be applied to garden flower beds to replace the nutrients which have been removed by plants and trees. Composting home and garden waste reduces the amount of products going into landfill sites. A considerable amount of landfill waste decomposes to produce methane which is a greenhouse gas, and so the process of home composting helps to reduce greenhouse gases and hence begins to address climate change.

Composting bins

Composting bins are available from DIY stores and many local councils offer composting bins at subsidised prices. Composting bins are a good way to speed up the decomposition of material as they retain heat. Heat is produced as a bi-product of the decomposition process. Ingredients for a good compost require a high carbon content. These include leaves, grass clippings, straw, hay, sawdust, paper and cardboard, green plant material such as plant residues, manure from poultry, horses and other herbivores, and raw fruit and vegetables. It is best to apply materials to the bins in alternating layers, for example, a layer of grass clippings followed by kitchen waste. This will reduce the likelihood of producing a slimey compost. If the compost appears too wet, cardboard and paper will help to create a better consistency.

Composting toilets

A compost toilet is a dry and waterless toilet that does not use water to remove waste. Usually there are two toilets placed side by side, one in use for around one year while the second is in the process of decomposition. Once it is emptied as compost, the second toilet is used for a year while the first goes through the composting process. Provided there is a vent and drain to remove excess liquid there is no smell. A cupful of soak, which is sawdust, soil or straw is applied after each use. The soak provides carbon to the nitrogen available in the human waste enabling a decomposition process to occur without odour. Waste does not have to be dealt with in sewage farms using chemicals, water is saved, organic matter is eventually returned to the soil to improve soil structure and nutrition, there are no greenhouse gas emissions, no chemicals or bleaches are used and no pipes are needed to remove waste to a sewage farm.

Reedbeds

A reedbed is an artificially created wetland planted with a particular type of reed which absorbs oxygen from the air and releases it via the roots. This process attracts micro-organisms which are required to perform the composting process. The bed is lined with a water tight material and gravel before being planted up, and waste water is piped into it. Reedbeds require that a house has a septic tank to hold and store waste, although the waste water is cleaned by the reedbeds before being discharged into the environment. The system is odour free. Reedbeds are useful in small rural communities where there are small volumes of effluent. They are cost effective as well as chemical-free. They provide habitats for wildlife and are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, particularly in a rural landscape. Reedbeds can be incorporated into the garden and will attract birds to it.