'Give it a Grow' is the message being put out by The Highland Council to mark the tenth annual Compost Awareness Week, which runs from 2-8 May 2010. This year Zero Waste Scotland and The Highland Council are encouraging us all to try our hand at new composting activities in order to do our bit for the environment.
Although around thirty percent of us already compost at home, there are lots more things we can all try. For example, around sixty percent of people say they have never tried composting general household waste, such as scrunched up paper or the contents from a vacuum cleaner, and around fifty percent of people have never tried using peat-free compost.
The Highland Councils Waste Awareness Assistants will be on hand across The Highlands at the following locations to provide handy tips on how to compost. Free packets of salad leaf seeds will be available for residents to take away and get growing (but only while stocks last)
• Skye Forest Gardens by the Armadale Pier on the 3rd ,Portree Co-op on the 4th and in the grounds of Viewfield House, Portree on the 6th with Viewfield Garden Collective's Master Composters
• Latheron, Lybster and Clyth Community Development Company (LLCCDC) on Wednesday 5th May at Seaview House, Harbour Road, Lybster from 3.30pm onwards.
• The Eastgate Centre on Friday 7th and 8th with ROWAN's Master Composters.
• Fort William Recycling Centre on Tue 4th, Glencoe Visitor Centre on the 5th and the Farm Shop at Torlundy on the 7th with Lochaber Environmental Group's Master Composters.
• Nairn Recycling Centre in the morning and Aviemore Recycling Centre in the afternoon on Wed 5th.
• The Recycling Centre in Dingwall on the morning of Wed 5th, Alness Recycling Centre on the morning of Thu 6th, and at Tain Recycling Centre in the afternoon of Thu 6th .
The Highland Council's Chairman of TEC Services, Councillor John Laing said: "This Compost Awareness Week we are encouraging everyone to give composting a go. Even those of us who are already composting at home could compost more things more often, or try new things, such as greener, peat free composts. However you choose to get involved, there are plenty of new things you can try, which will not only help the environment but also help your garden grow greener."
Here are just some of the things we could all try this Compost Awareness Week.
• New to composting? Why not give composting a go. Anyone with outside space can compost at home. To buy a compost bin, contact 0845 076 0223, go online at wasteawarescotland.org.uk or try any garden centre or DIY store.
• Already a compost champion? Think about additional things you could compost, such as eggs shells, tea bags or even coffee grounds and filter paper. Check the list of compostable items at http://gardening.wasteawarescotland.org.uk/compost.asp
• Don't know what to do with your compost? Try using your homemade compost to enrich your borders or to give your potted plants and containers an extra boost
• Ever tried peat-free compost? It's made from recycled materials - and that's good news for the environment because it helps to cut down the amount of organic waste that is sent to landfill
• Fancy being a wormery wonder? Wormeries are ideal for people who don't produce garden waste or have limited outside space. Small amounts of garden waste can go into a wormery, together with some cooked food scraps.
There is often a belief that waste such as vegetable peelings or garden waste is harmless, but in a landfill tip they cause powerful greenhouse gases to be released into the atmosphere. Home composting is a simple alternative that anyone can manage if they have a garden or allotment - or even a patio or outside space.
For more information about Compost Awareness Week and to check what events are happening in your area, visit
www.highland.gov.uk/wastemanagement or call 01349 868439.