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Project 1 - Composting
Making your own compost is a practical way to reduce the volume of rubbish
going to landfill and at the same time benefiting the garden. Our school has
'Healthy School' status, an award recognising the number of children who bring
healthy food to school. As a result, they have a high volume of organic waste
each day that can be composted.
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Converters not only keep your composting neat and tidy, they also provide the ideal enviroment for composting to take place. Composting requires heat and oxygen for the first stage (where microoganisms break down the organic material). The plastic container retains heat and speeds up the process. Placing the converter in full or partial sun will help but avoid excessive heat which can dry out the contents. The converter should be placed directly onto soil or grass to allow beneficial insects and worms to enter. If you have to place your converter onto a hard surface, first put a layer of compost down. |
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Children will be designated as 'compost monitors' to collect the bins at the end of lunctime and transfer the contents to the main composter. |
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All
that is required is few wooden stakes and a roll of galvanised wire
mesh. For a more sturdy structure you could use an open fence panel. |
Converter:
A compost converter is an ideal way to make compost. 
The
school will place colourful plastic collecting buckets by each of the
waste bins on the playgrounds and in the dinner hall to collect compostable
waste. 
Open
composter:
Traditionally, a compost heap was used to make compost. Although a plastic
converter will make the process neater and quicker, an open compost
heap is useful for large quantities of organic waste such as grass cuttings
and other garden waste. Whilst it is possible to simply pile the waste
in a corner of the garden an enclosed area will keep things tidy and
also maintain the mass of the heap necessary to produce the required
heat to begin the composting process. A simple mesh enclosure will also
allow oxygen to enter.
Composting:
| DO
COMPOST THESE:
Uncooked vegetable peelings & fruit Hedge trimmings Grass clippings (limited amount) Leaves Paper Tea bags and coffee grounds Vegetarian animal bedding (e.g. rabbits) |
DON'T
COMPOST THESE: Meat/bones Fish Cooked food Dairy products Cat litter |
Successful composting needs the right mix of conditions, which are determined by where you site your composter and what you put in it. Firstly, site your composter preferably on bare soil or at least on grass.
You need to get the right ratio of carbon to nitrogen. This is determined by the mix of 'greens' and 'browns'. 'Greens' are fruit and vegetable scraps, grass cuttings (not too much). 'Browns' are dried flowers, cardboard etc. Try to keep an equal mix of greens and browns. You need a reasonable amount of material in order to generate the heat necessary for composting process. Chopping up larger items also helps.
Make sure the contents of your composter is moist (not wet). Add water if it starts to dry out.
The composting process needs oxygen to work. Occasionally turn the contents with a garden fork and add more scrunched up paper.
Depending on the conditions, it will take between 6 months and 2 years for your compost to be ready to use. When it is ready it will resemble commercial compost - dark, with an earthy smell.
For more details, try these websites:
