Composting your gnappies #EWWR2014
It’s European Week for Waste reduction, bluntly a week to think about where we could stop creating so much waste and highlight methods to reduce, re-use or recycle! I mentioned in my review of gnappies that one of the attractions was the biodegradeable inserts, and that I was aware that lots of people were not keen on composting for one reason or another, so I want to get back to basics and talk about some of my friends reasons to not compost, and my responses!
I don’t know where to start composting! Well, first of all you need to have a compost bin or a compost heap. Personally I like a compost bin, as it’s hidden at the bottom of the garden, and I don’t have to worry that the boys will decide to empty out on my behalf!
I don’t like the idea of a plastic bin? Grab some old pallets and make your own compost bin, you will need a drill and I’d suggest looking at a web tutorial if you’re doing this, and do make sure you line the base really well with wire mesh to keep small animals out! But it should end up looking a little like this:
It’s too complicated!! There’s a really handy list on what you can compost on the Recycle Now site, and it’s quite amazing what you can and cannot add to your compost bin! Things like urine (so the wee soiled biodegradable g nappies inserts!) cardboard, egg shells, seaweed and vegetable peelings are all compostable! Get a kitchen caddy to keep by your sink, and stick everything in there then take it out to the compost bin in one go, the boys love throwing all their fruit peel into the caddy, and we empty the caddy each time we empty the kitchen bin. It’s quite easy once you get used to throwing bits into the caddy rather than the bin.
I’m stuck for space?? This I think is the most common reason why people don’t feel they can have a compost bin, with a very small garden or no garden at all, traditional compost bins just don’t work. This is where storage box comes in, and you might be able to compost even on your balcony! I wanted to have a go at making one of these home-made compost bins, but as Yo is teething, I’ve not yet got round to it (it is on my to do list!) but in the meantime, check out this video which tells you how to go about creating a mini-compost bin!
Once your compost is ready, you can indulge in a little gardening whether you want to grow flowers or have a go at growing your own vegetables – most of which can be grown even in a limited outdoor space!
So, do you compost? Do you or WOULD you compost you gnappies biodegradeable inserts?
