Composting and Using Compost

What is Compost?• Compost is the name of a soil that is produced from

organic waste.• Compost is produced when organic waste rots in a

compost bin. • Small insects enter the compost and help to break

down the waste.

What is organic waste?• Things that grow naturally in our environment.

Is composting a type of recycling?

• Composting is a way of recycling raw fruit and vegetable peelings that we would otherwise throw away.

Why is it good to compost? • Food waste takes up most of the space in our bins

and this gets buried in a landfill site.• Composting is a good way of reducing the amount of

food waste that we send to landfill.• When food waste rots in landfill it produces a harmful

gas called methane, which is contributing to climate change.

What goes in a compost bin?

- Raw fruit and vegetable peelings

- teabags

- cardboard egg boxes

- twigs and leaves

What should we keep out of the compost bin?

- Any cooked food - meat

- dairy products - glossy magazines

- cat litter - metal - weeds

How is compost made?

Mix your greens and browns• Greens

Fruit and vegetable peelings and scraps, teabags, leaves, grass clippings, old flowers but not weeds.

• Browns dry twigs and leaves, egg shells, cardboard, paper (shredded or

scrunched up), pencil shavings, toilet roll tubes, straw.

What kinds of animals live in a compost bin?

How long does it take?

Q. How long does it take before your compost bins starts to produce compost that can be used?

A. Nine to twelve months.

What is in your compost?

In your groups, use your magnifying glass and tweezers to see what you can find.

Mini beasts

Eggshell

Leaves

Twigs