Time to celebrate the wonders of composting

It’s International Compost Awareness Week, so we are celebrating the role composting plays in enabling nature's regenerative cycles.

When food scraps and garden waste are made into compost, valuable nutrients are returned to the soil which nurtures plant growth and improves the air we breathe. In addition, composting reduces the volume of organic waste sent to landfill and the resulting methane gas emissions.  

Here are five ways to get involved this International Compost Awareness Week:

1. Pick a composting method that works for you

There are different options depending on the amount of time you are willing to dedicate to maintaining a system, quantity of food scraps and amount of outdoor space available. Check out our learn about composting webpage to see some of the different systems for composting at home. Or outsource the composting of your food scraps with Kaicycle, Why Waste and ShareWaste.

2. Set up a compost system - it's easy!

There are easy to follow tips on our website to help you set up and maintain your compost bin, worm farm, and Bokashi system.

3. Rodent proof your compost bin

It’s easy and essential to protect your compost against rodents. Check these tips by Predator Free NZ to learn more.

4. Get composting the cheap and cheerful way

There are many ways to reuse household items such as old containers, buckets and lids. For example, you can transform two old bins into a bokashi system or ceramic planters into a worm farm. Check out the Tip Shop to find items to help create a unique DIY compost system.

5. WIN with our compost competition

Keep an eye out for our compost competition on our Facebook page. The lucky winner will walk away with a composting system of their choice!

If you have a compost question, you can always get in touch with us at waste.education@wcc.govt.nz.