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The principal is simple but how do you make it work for you?  Composting will help recycle household waste and give you an ideal fertiliser for your garden.  It will also help the environment by reducing landfill and the need for artificial fertilisers.

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The basic method of making a good compost is to start with a layer of straw and twigs followed by alternate layers of moist and dry materials.  It needs to be kept moist and turned occasionally. Although this can be ignored if you have enough layers which will add to the aeration.(or you could use a tumbler model). By having a ratio of one third greens to two thirds browns you will ensure you have a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 2:1 and a healthy compost.

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The compost should be covered to help retain the heat and the moisture and also prevents it being over watered from the rain.

Some of the items which make up a good compost are shown below:

Greens:  Fruit and vegetables, grass clippings, flowers, tea leaves, food waste

Browns:  Leaves, straw, wood ash, newspapers, saw dust, wood chips.

You can make a compost bin easily or pick them up at a low cost.  

For more information, visit Recycle Now and EarthEasy websites.

Scoring:  Compared to the alternatives, a chemical fertiliser and throwing away, it is a very green activity but value for money depends on if you make it yourself or buy one.  One thing for sure, it will give you good results in your garden.