Recycling

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Waste:

Home Composting

Links to: Introduction, Ballyogan Recycling Park, Bring Banks in your area, Composting, Waiver Scheme, Waste Charges, What happens to your waste?

Home Composting is a great way of reducing the amount of rubbish that you put in your green bin

Roughly one third of our household waste is made up of kitchen and garden waste. Most of this organic material can be turned into compost instead of taking up valuable landfill space. Composting is an easy and natural way of reducing the size of our household bin while at the same time, providing us with a completely natural soil improver for the garden. When rotted down, composted material will improve and maintain your soil and enhance your garden by returning useful nutrients to the soil.

You can compost Leaves, grass, hedge cuttings and old plants (some bulkier garden materials should be shredded first), vegetable and fruit peels, egg shells, tea bags, coffee grounds, kitchen towel and egg boxes. Small amounts of cardboard newspaper are also suitable. Avoid placing Meat, bones, cheese, cooking oils and fish in your compost as they may attract unwanted pests and are very slow to break down. Basically, avoid any cooked or processed foods.

The Council sells plastic compost bins suitable for the garden for €35. You can see one on display at the Environment Public Counter at County Hall, Dún Laoghaire. To purchase a compost bin, simply pick up an application form at the cash office or contact the Environment Department for further information. For further information, contact the Environment Dept on (01) 205 4817 or email environ@dlrcoco.ie

There are also vermicomposting systems on the market, which are suitable for people without gardens. You can make your own or buy one. Special vermicomposting worms available from any good fishing tackle shop. To purchase a compost bin, simply pick up an application form at the cash office or contact the Environment Department for further information

There are some great websites with valuable information on home composting such as www.hdra.org.uk, www.rhsi.ie/enfo.htm, or www.wigglywigglers.co.uk.

Page last updated 3 March 2005

Ciarán Cuffe is a TD for the Dún Laoghaire Dáil Constituency. Ciarán can be contacted at Dáil Éireann, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 or 96 Patrick Street, Dún Laoghaire Tel. 284 6060 or 618 3082, Fax 618 4341, Email Ciaran CiaranCuffe.com, or Text Ciaran on 087 265 2075.