Composting is nature's form of recycling.

Fact: Food and garden organics waste in the Hawkesbury accounts for between 40-50% of waste sent to landfill.

Organic waste, or green waste, that is deposited in landfill is a big problem and it's not just because of the resources lost. When organic waste is sent to landfill, it undergoes anaerobic (without air) decomposition, releasing methane which is 20 times more potent a greenhouse gas then carbon dioxide (CO2).

On a more local level, sending organic waste to landfill is essentially a waste. Recycling organic waste using a simple and easy compost or worm farming system will not only help the environment, the end products will improve the structure of your soil and introduce or replace valuable nutrients vital to healthy plant growth. You will also save money on expensive fertilisers and other products and increase water retention in the soil (therefore reducing your water bill).

Don't let your organics go to waste - Think you can't afford to buy a wormfarm or compost? Follow the links for some helpful tips to build your own.

Compost

Composting is a natural process that involves the decomposition of organic matter. Millions of micro-organisms drive the compost process by breaking organic matter down to its original nutrient form. This valuable nourishment is then returned to the soil to help improve plant growth, water retention and the natural capacity of plants to resist disease.

There are essentially 4 easy steps to great compost:

• choosing the site
• knowing what to compost
• creating layers
• maintaining the compost
• The Easy Guide to Composting covers those 4 steps along with a fix it guide if you're experiencing some composting issues.

Compost bins are sold at hardware stores, nurseries and some department stores.

Worm Farming

Worm farming is composting with the extra help of worms that break organic matter down. Worms mix and aerate soil; munching their way through all your food scraps and other organic materials and as a result of their digestive processes they produce nutrient rich castings (worm poo) that help keep our soils healthy. Castings are easily absorbed by plants and don't require any further action once placed on to your soil.

Worm farms are also useful for people who live in flats, units, or even in an office space, essentially where there isn't the space to set up a compost heap.

Worm farming is a relatively simple form of composting as you rely on worms to do nearly all the work. You provide the right conditions (appropriate shelter, moisture and food) and they do the rest.

There are 4 easy steps to a successful worm farm consisting of:

• choosing the site
• collecting the worm food
• making the worm farm or bed
• harvesting the worms
• The Easy Guide to Worm Farming covers those 4 steps along with a fix it guide if you're experiencing some worm farm issues.

Worm Suppliers

Please call beforehand to check store and availability.

Hardware shops, nurseries and some department stores also sell worm farms.

For more information goto the Hawkesbury City Councils Sustainable Living Guide or manual for composting and worm farming workshops.

If you feel that worm farming or composting are not options for you, there are another 2 possible alternatives for you below:

Chooks

Chooks reduce compost, are keen gardeners (in both consuming pests and providing manure), make wonderful pets and they can keep your family and friends well stocked with free-range eggs.

Backyard chooks need a constant supply of fresh water and a diet of appropriate poultry pellets, supplemented with kitchen scraps. They need a dry enclosure and protection from predators such as cats, dogs and foxes.

Hawkesbury City Council regulations on keeping chooks/poultry are:

• Poultry must not be kept under such conditions as to create a nuisance or to be dangerous or injurious to health
• Poultry yards must at all times be kept clean and free from offensive odours
• Fowls (that is, birds of the species Gallus gallus-laying hens) or guinea fowls must not be kept within 4.5 metres (or such greater distance as the council may determine in a particular case) of a dwelling, public hall, school or premises used for the manufacture, preparation, sale or storage of food
• Poultry (ducks, pheasants, turkeys, geese etc) must not be kept within 30 metres of any building referred to as above
• Floors of poultry houses must be paved with concrete or mineral asphalt underneath the roosts or perches. However, this does not apply to poultry houses that are not within 15.2 metres of a dwelling, public hall or school, or that are situated on clean sand
• Poultry yards must be so enclosed as to prevent the escape of poultry

Bokashi Bucket

The Bokashi Bucket is a practical and convenient alternative for transforming kitchen waste into a nutrient rich soil conditioner. You can compost almost every kitchen food waste in your Bokashi Bucket including fruit and vegetables, prepared foods, cooked and uncooked meats and fish, cheese, eggs, bread, coffee grinds, tea bags, wilted flowers and tissues.