Composting and Wormeries

East Devon District Council have teamed up with Original Organics to offer quality compost bins, wormeries and water butts at a reduced cost. You can order online on the Original Organics website, telephone 01884 841515 or print out and return the PDF file Original Organics application form. (649KB - 21 June 2010 - PDF Help)

Original Organics can offer a delivery service for a small fee or you can choose to receive a voucher on payment which can be taken to participating garden centres to collect.

Vouchers will be accepted at Kings Garden and Leisure Ltd in Exmouth, Hill View Nursery in Dunkeswell and Sundial Garden Centre on the A35 near Offwell. More participating Gardens Centres to be added soon.

What is best for you?

There are many ways to help get rid of organic waste without having to landfill it! Have a look at the following options.

Home Composting
Wormeries and food digesters
Community Composting Groups

Home Composting

Join the thousands of people in the UK discovering the benefits of composting, and if you're a keen gardener you will have free compost on tap.

Watch your garden flourish:

Compost not only adds nutrients to the soil in your garden, but also helps prevent soil erosion and retains water capacity, contributing to better root development in plants and trees and a happier, healthier garden.

Reduce your waste:

Did you know that approximately 25-30% of our black bin is comprised of food waste? As well as cutting back on the food we throw away, we can divert our waste by putting any uncooked food scraps such as fruit and vegetable peelings in a home composter.

Reduce your carbon footprint:

When organic matter such as garden and food waste reach a landfill site it releases gases that contribute to climate change. Through home-composting we can all play our part in creating a greener future.

Where do I put my composter?

Ideally you should put it onto a soil base so that the insects and microbes can transfer between both, as well as air and moisture. A good mix of worms is a healthy sign in a composter. If a soil base is not possible it can be placed onto a concrete base - ideally you would add a thin layer of soil to get it started. Try and position it so that it gets some shade in the summer months as this will prevent it drying out.

What can I put into the composter?

You need a combination of ‘browns’ and ‘greens’. ‘Browns’ are bits of cardboard, scrunched up paper, dried leaves and wood prunings etc. ‘Greens’ are uncooked fruit and vegetable peelings, garden waste (grass cuttings, green leaves and soft prunings etc) as well as tea and coffee grounds

What can't I put in my composter?

Cooked food, fish and meat bones, perennial weeds, diseased plants and cat or dog faeces.

Then what do I do?

Add a mixture of the above greens and browns into your composter. When adding more waste, check the contents and mix occasionally. If the mixture is too dry, add water and if it's too wet, add some more browns such as egg cartons or cardboard.

How long will it take?

You should have a compostable mixture at the bottom of your bin after between 6-12 months.

Do I have to buy a composter?

No, you can make a composter out of any material that you have, a few old pallets are very good for making a composter, and ideally you need to be able to keep the rain out. You can also create compost by simply piling material together at the bottom of your garden. It will break down eventually.  If you would like to purchase a compost bin please see details at the top of this page for reduced cost composters.

Wormeries and Food Digesters 

Not got the space for a home composter? Wormeries are ideal for properties with smaller gardens and less space. Please see details at the top of this page for purchasing wormeries.

Want to compost all types of food waste? Food digesters turn all kitchen waste, including cooked and uncooked food, meat and fish and dairy products, into nutrient-rich compost.

Community Composting

If you don’t have room for a composter or wormery try a community composting project. Community composting involves groups of people who get together to compost waste on a larger scale.

Currently East Devon has groups in:

Lympstone, Feniton, Stoke Canon.

For free advice on setting up a community composting project, please contact Nicky Scott, the Devon Community Composting Coordinator on 01647 432880.

Page last updated on 19 September 2011