If you already – or would like to – contribute your kitchen waste to our community compost scheme, then thank you! Our bins swiftly turn peelings and uncooked waste into fresh nutritious soil, which we use in the community garden to grow new fruit and veg.

The bins can be found next to the Community Garden alongside St Clements Church, between Scarcroft Road and Nunthorpe Road – https://maps.app.goo.gl/qhc3MAYMjHsdXWQJ9, entrance from Nunthorpe Road.

You might be surprised to discover what the compost bins can cope with – and what they can’t.

So here’s a reminder of what makes good compost, starting with the no-no’s which give our compost bins a tummy-ache:

No to:

Compostable veg-waste bags and single-use compostable drinks cups – these can be dealt with by commercial composters (such as at Hazel Court), but our bins just don’t get hot enough. Please tip out the waste from your bag into the compost bin and take the bag home to refill.

Any cooked food, whether vegetable or meat or pre-prepared food such as bread. Rats go for cooked food in compost bins, so it’s really important we all avoid this risk in our local neighbourhood.

Teabags. Did you know many teabags have plastic in? Yuk! This includes many high-quality, reputable brands. If the label on your box of teabags doesn’t explicitly say they’re plastic free, you need to assume they’re made with plastic, and so they go into your black-bin waste. (Hardcore composters will let those kinds of teabags dry out and then rip them open to compost just the tea leaves – but we’re not laying that on any of you!)

Plastic bags, nor plastic or metal items – plastic pots and lids, teaspoons, knives, plastic bags…you’d be surprised what we find.

Dog waste bags – though we hope that’s a statement of the obvious.

And so on to the list of what our bins love to eat – again, the list may surprise you!

Yes to:

Uncooked kitchen veg waste – fruit, vegetable tops and tails, leaves, peelings, fruit peel etc (though not coconut shells!)

Coffee grounds – these are surprisingly good for compost.

Crushed-up eggshells – these bring useful minerals into the soil.

Small / torn-up bits of cardboard – eggboxes and toilet rolls are ideal. Good compost comes from a mix of vegetable matter and cardboard. You might have noticed sometimes the sheets of cardboard we keep by the bins, and which we use bit by bit to make sure the bins are getting a balanced diet.

We hope this helps you – and inspires you! Please contact info@planetsouthbank.org.uk if you’ve any composting questions.

And if you want to see where the compost goes, why not come along to one of our regular community garden sessions on Sunday afternoons, 2pm to 3pm:

14 and 28 July;

11 and 25 August;

8 and 22 September;

6 and 20 October.