Compost Awareness Week

Grow your own this Compost Awareness Week! 3-9 May 2009

Compost Awareness Week is all about learning how to make a difference with compost. We can do that by composting our own household kitchen and garden waste or making the ‘Greener Choice’ of peat-free composts containing recycled materials. This year Recycle Now is working with top chef Arthur Potts Dawson, to promote Compost Awareness Week, and to encourage people to put their compost to good use by trying their hand at growing their own fruit and vegetables.

Arthur is Executive Chef at eco restaurant Acorn House, which aims to be the most recyclable restaurant in London, by allowing as much as 80% of its waste to be recycled using the most up to date methods. The restaurant has its own site for storage of dry recyclables with space for a compostor and a wormery, providing soil for the restaurant. The roof of the storage area is used to grow herbs (and potentially grow insect attracting plants) in the centre of Kings Cross.

Arthur Potts Dawson, said: “At Acorn House we compost 100 percent of our suitable waste on site and use the compost we make to grow herbs and other vegetables to serve in the restaurant.  I also ensure that any compost I buy is peat-free, as I’m fully aware of the damage caused to peat bogs and their wildlife through peat extraction for garden compost. It gets great results, and needn’t cost the earth.”

There are lots of events and activities planned for Compost Awareness Week, for the expert to the novice gardener, or even those of us who simply love good-tasting, great value food!  Use the event locator to the right to find out about events taking place near you, or click for tips on home composting and being greener in your garden.

To get you started, here are some top tips from Recycle Now on how to Grow Your Own this Compost Awareness Week!

  • One step at a time! If you’re new to growing your own fruit and veg, don’t start with anything too challenging. Try starting with tomatoes or herbs, which you can plant outside now that the weather is milder – and they’re ideal for that Mediterranean flavour. Your local garden centre will be able to advise you on suitable plants
  • Space needn’t be an issue - If you have limited or no garden space, look for varieties of salad, vegetable and fruit that will thrive in pots on your patio, balcony or even windowsills. Tomatoes, beans, lettuces and strawberries are some examples of plants you can grow without requiring much garden space.
  • Recycle and save: Old yoghurt pots, egg boxes or food trays can be used as seed trays and will save you from buying new containers. Simply make drainage holes in the bottom and ensure they are sturdy enough to hold compost.
  • Use peat-free compost.  To be a greener gardener, use peat-free compost containing recycled materials.  This in effect “closes the loop” - the garden waste put out for collection can end up back in the garden. So all you need to do to help is buy a bag!
  • Watering your plants. Peat-free composts need to be watered little and often, because they tend to retain water better than peat.
  • Get the kids involved - There’s no better way to help children eat healthily than to let them grow their own vegetables. Tomatoes are an obvious choice, especially cherry types, as children can pick and eat them straight off the plant- but don’t forget to wash them first!
  • Compost your food and garden waste. Composting at home provides a free and nutritious plant food that can be used to help grow fruit and veg. All sorts of things can be composted- from vegetable peelings to eggs shells, tea bags to garden waste - all helping to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.  Anyone with outside space can compost at home or use a wormery.
  • Don’t give up! Remember that growing conditions vary, even from garden to garden, so there is an element of trial and error involved when you set foot on the path to the Good Life.

For Local authorities, retailers and compost producers

Click here for ideas to help promote Compost Awareness Week and downloadable information packs with advice and tips on:

  • organising events,
  • promoting composting and compost sales
  • encouraging people to grow their own fruits and vegetables

Any events can also be added into the event locator for consumers to search.

For updates on which retailers will be taking part in activities and offers on some of their peat-free products, come back to this page soon!