Slough Borough Council

How do I start composting?

First you need to buy or build a composter

You can get instructions on how to make your own from a number of good gardening books, or from some organisations that produce DIY books. Some excellent resources exist on the Internet. Go to a good search engine (Yahoo!  or Google) and put in the word 'compost'. Then surf a few sites to find what you want.

Many people buy a ready-made composter. The council is woring in partnership with the Recyclenow campaign to provide composters at a discount price.  Prices start from just £8 including delivery. For more information see the Recyclenow website.

Location

Stand your new composter on soil or grass in the place you choose. It is going to be a long term feature so many people hide it away out of sight. If you can you should put your composter in a place where it will get direct sunlight. The extra warmth will help to speed up the composting process.

Cover the top of the compost

You don’t have to cover compost, but it keeps in the moisture and warmth which speeds up the breakdown process. A polythene sheet with a few holes punched in it and held in place with stones will do if you have made your own. Follow the assembly instructions of your composter if you have bought one.

Don’t put anything under the composter

Your rotting waste must have contact with the soil as this is where all the insects and other creatures that make compost will come from.

Getting compost out

If your unit has a side hatch, simply slide it into place. This is where you will dig out the soil that is produced by the composter. Home made composters or compost heaps usually mean a little digging to get the finished product out for use.

Your composter is now ready for use.