Global Recycling Day 2024
For Global Recyling Day we are celebrating the power of composting!
Here at Veolia in the UK we operate 11 composting sites where we use state of the art composting technologies to transform grass cuttings, leaves and branches from parks and gardens across the country into the Pro-Grow Soil Conditioner that we know and love.
For example, at our composting site near Nottingham we pump air into the compost piles using huge fans and under-floor air channels to accelerate the composting process
You won’t be able to do it as quickly at home, but you can still create a great soil conditioner (also known as soil improver) in your home composter, with a little patience. It’s important to get the right balance of Carbon and Nitrogen. Carbon rich materials are typically brown in colour, for example twigs and old dead leaves.
Nitrogen rich materials are typically green in colour, for example freshly cut grass and vegetable scraps. You want to aim for 25 parts Carbon for every 1 part Nitrogen if possible (a Carbon:Nitrogen ratio of 25:1). Add these different materials in layers to get a good mixture.
It’s also important to provide enough oxygen for the composting microbes to thrive, so try to add some larger branches at the bottom of your composter to allow oxygen to enter from underneath, and spread out your grass cuttings in between layers of Carbon rich materials.
If you add lots of grass cuttings in one layer, it may become compacted and restrict the flow of oxygen. This will slow down the composting process. Turning the compost over periodically will also help to introduce oxygen.
Why not double up on your recycling efforts by using pallets left over from your Pro-Grow delivery to make a wooden composter or create some wooden planters like these?
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Posted by Steve Pritchard
14th March 2024
