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I've been mulling over the idea of trying to set up a community compost heap. Where I live, there are enough peole who would like to use it. I just wonder about the practicality of it and if it would actually work. Has anyone else done this and if so, did it work?

I'm not sure about this - I can imagine lots of disputes that wouldn't necessarily be outweighed by the opportunity to have a larger, heat generating heap. Perhaps it could work in addition to individual composting, when people have too much for their own systems, or perhaps that could just be shared around - individual composting but communal support for each other?

Wulf

See, that's kind of what I was thinking. I was just trying to get ideas on the best way to go. I like the thought of setting up some kind of community composting project though. Whether that be educating people about how to make a compost heap, what can and can't go on it...yadda, yadda, yadda.

my council has a "green bin" collection scheme where all garden waste is taken to a central heap (so i'm told). maybe try and petition your council for this as it might be a better and easier way of doing things

I have just found this thread.
Christchurch City Council here have a green scheme. You can take most green stuff to a refuse centre, (there are three in the city) where it is all collected and taken to a place where they make compost. There is a small charge for dumping. The compost is then sold to some landscaping firms for resale to the public. There are some things that can't be dumped, ie, flax, grasses and plants with soil still attached, lawn grass that has been sprayed. It is very high quality compost. Very fine and black.

Robin

East Lothian Council collect all recyclable waste on a kerb side collection, but only if you live in the bigger towns. There are the usual glass/can banks half a mile away from us, in the village.

ELC, in their wisdom, and only after much badgering from us rural folks are expanding the kerbside collection, with, wait for it....... a green waste collection.

They sent a pack of leaflets, including a calendar with collection dates to every rural household. This also included a postage paid card to return if you wanted a brown wheelie bin.

Like most, we compost all our green waste, so I never returned the card. A few weeks later, a brown bin was delivered! I called the council asking for it to be uplifted and given to someone else. The council lady was a bit miffed to say the least, less so than the driver who threw it into the back of his van.

They are apparently a Forward Thinking Council

Thurston Garden wrote: Like most, we compost all our green waste,

Same here, we have a brown bin and mostly it doesn't get put out. Just occasionally there are some things to go in it, but not very often.

Have been reading a LOT Here: http://ssis.arts.unsw.edu.au/tsw/ recently, and im mulling over the idea or trying to create a community garden then kitchen then workshop in the immage of "the Glen" in the novvela on this site.
the ideas are good and i'de like a shot at instituting them.
I live Realatively ruraly so if i could get a site and council approval then a massive compost heap would be a goer i recon.
I'de use the place to teach people about organic and effective gardening - then the garden produce to show them how to COOK, not just HEAT. then both to inspire a community workshop to make tools and devices and succh that are all synergistic.
*sigh* twud be sooo luverly

A communal compost bin would be a very good idea. However at our allotment society I've heard they have bad experiences with people throwing in treated wood, fencing wire, old netting etc etc. People will go to great lenths to get rid of that kind of junk, hiding it under green waste etc.

So, much would depend on the motivation and commitment of the participants in such a scheme.

Good luck, Jandra

Waste food composting is a great idea since it reduces bin waste and makes it less of a health hazard. Do any of you have this facility locally?

John

ohareward wrote:I have just found this thread.
Christchurch City Council here have a green scheme. You can take most green stuff to a refuse centre, (there are three in the city) where it is all collected and taken to a place where they make compost.

For info, the composting place often has excess compost which you can have for the cost of the freight, a whole truckful delivered here near Birdlings Flat would only cost aroung $120, so if you are thinking about needing compost, that would be a cheap option. As soon as there is some spare dosh, I plan on getting a truckload delivered as it is a lot cheaper than buying it from the supermarket/DIY place.

We've got a community composting scheme here in Leeds. They take green 'waste' from local people and compost it. They have a collection service. And they take green 'waste' from commercial sources (i.e. gardeners) and charge to dispose of it (by composting instead of landfill).

I'd love to see this work. Unfortunately though, I've heard some bad things about the place; that the scheme isn't being 'managed' very well. Flashy new tractors being bought and little actual work for them to do etc. Seems like the website is offline too, looks like they haven't paid their bill and the hosting company has pulled the plug ( www.leedsorganicgrowers.org )

Aberdeenshire has a "master composter" - there are several local community compost schemes, and he gives courses on composting, too. Great fun, and free - including lunch!