Compost at Home

Composting at home is the simple way to help nature restore your garden’s health and vitality.

Home composting can help:

You,  to save money on buying compost.

Your garden, by feeding plants, lightening heavy soils and helping light soils hold more water.

and The environment, by

• Reducing waste sent for disposal. (A third of our waste could be composted!)
• Helping worms and other minibeasts to thrive which in turn provides a food source for hedgehogs and garden birds, see How to compost your waste from The Wildlife Trusts
• Cutting down on the need for peat-based compost. Find out more at For Peat’s Sake
• Reducing plastic packaging and transport linked with shop bought compost

Click here for our Why Compost at Home? leaflet

Find out where’s the best place to put your compost bin, what ingredients to put in and how to get your compost out and use it.

Click here for a step by step guide to composting

Click here for a full list of what you can and can’t compost

Composting Workshops 

Free online workshops are available to help you get started or improve your composting and learn about alternative composting methods like wormeries. These 1 hour workshops include time for questions and answers.

Register your interest in future workshops here. 

To mark the launch of our 2022 compost awareness campaign, we’re giving away 50 free 220ltr black compost bins.

For more information, and to enter the competition, please click here.

Closing date 26th May 2022.

Don’t worry if you’re not a winner, you can still take advantage of our cut price compost bin offer. Please see details below.

Online

Norfolk County Council have teamed up with
Get Composting to offer cut price compost bins
to Norfolk residents.

Prices start from just £10 (plus £5.99 for delivery) and you can buy one get one half price.

220 litre black bins at £10 (standard price £22)

220 litre green bins at £13 (standard price £25)

330 litre black bins at £13 (standard price £25)

330 litre green bins at £16 (standard price £28)

You can buy a reduced priced compost bin online at www.getcomposting.com  or by telephone 0800 316 4454.

At Recycling Centres

220 litre black compost bins are available to purchase from all 20 Norfolk Recycling Centres. They are available for £10 and you can buy one get one half price. Find your nearest local recycling centre here.

NB. This offer is limited to 2 compost bins per customer.

Bokashi Bins allow you to compost all of your food waste including meat, fish, dairy products and any other organic material in one container.

Add your kitchen waste to your Bokashi Bin, sprinkle on a handful of Bokashi Bran and seal the air tight lid to start the fermenting process. After a few weeks your waste can be added to a conventional compost heap, or dug straight into the ground.

For Norfolk residents the Bokashi bin twin pack is available at a reduced price of £15 (standard price £24.99) from www.getcomposting.com

Many people choose to make their own compost bins out of pallets, wire or other materials alternatively just make a loose heap in a garden corner! Try this build a compost heap guide  from the BBC for some great ideas. Why not share your tips for homemade compost bins with us on social media, tag us with #NorfolkRecycles.

Wormeries use worms to create dark crumbly compost from your kitchen and garden waste. If you haven’t the space for a traditional compost bin, you could find that worm composting is just the thing for you. This factsheet explains how to make a wormery from stacking boxes for a fraction of the cost of commercially available models.

Are you having trouble getting your compost just right?

Is it too wet, dry or smelly? Do you have some unwanted residents?  We have collated some advice on how to deal with the most common home composting problems.

Click here to have your compost questions answered.

Is there something you’d like to know about your compost bin or heap and you don’t know who to ask? Why not ‘Ask a Master Composter’! Simply fill in the form below and one of our Master Composters will get in touch.

We are here to help if you have any questions or need advice on composting there are lots of ways to find out more:

Visit Master Composters at a local event 

Email – mastercomposters@norfolk.gov.uk

Call – 0344 800 8020

Garden Organic – lots of information on organic gardening and composting, including an app for your smart phone

Recyclenow.com  – easy steps to help with your home composting

Master Composter volunteer Anne Wiltshire said “Composting gives me a feeling of satisfaction.  Every time I go to add more organic matter into the compost bin, I notice how quickly the level has shrunk down.  The smell and feel of freshly made compost is wonderful and not off putting in any way.  The other thing that composting gives me is the knowledge that I am doing ‘my bit’ for the environment and for the future.”

Read more about Anne and other Master Composters stories here.