Home composting is using your kitchen and garden waste to make your own nutrient rich compost that you can use to help feed your flowers, plants and vegetables. Composting provides a home for a range of mini-beasts and worms that turn your food and garden waste into compost.
To kickstart your composting journey or expand what you’re already doing, we’ve teamed up with Get Composting to provide residents across Greater Manchester* savings on a range of composting bins and equipment.
*not including Wigan
All with free postage and packaging. Just put in your postcode to see all eligible discounts.
Check out this selection of composting equipment to kickstart your composting journey! Greater Manchester residents get £10 off when you enter your postcode!
Small enough to fit on your kitchen countertop, the Bokashi bin produces nutrient rich liquid that can be diluted and used on plants inside and outdoors.
If you have a large outdoor space or allotment this modular compost bin will have the capacity you need.
These classic composting bins are made from recycled plastic and come in two sizes and colours.
Make compost faster with a 330-litre composter! It takes a bit more effort, but you’ll receive rich, nutritious compost from your food and garden waste in no time. Making your compost in about 6 to 8 months!
Good compost is made by combining 50% green items and 50% brown items
Visit Compost Instructions (compostinstructions.com) for a full list of what you can and can’t add to your compost bin.
Bacteria, fungi, insects and other invertebrates break down the items in the compost bin. Using a traditional compost bin takes around 1 year for compost to be ready to use.
Most composting systems should be in shade. Ground-based compost piles and bins should be placed on bare soil so that bugs and worms can get into your bin. Once filled, compost bins are heavy so it wont be easy to move. Make sure you can easily access the compost bin to be able to remove your compost when ready. A wormery can be placed in a shed to protect it from extreme weather conditions. Bokashi bins can be kept in the kitchen.
Yes, especially in rainy Greater Manchester! A cover stops it becoming waterlogged in winter and keeps moisture in during the summer. You can cover open compost piles with things like plastic, old carpet or plywood.
Hot composting is a way to speed up the composting process, you can get usable composting faster by raising the temperature of the compost you have created the ideal conditions for microbes to breakdown your food waste quickly. The downside is that there is more work to do than with a normal cold compost bin. If you buy a hot composter the set-up work is done for you, but you will still need to monitor the temperature and moisture content to optimise the hot composting conditions.
If you live in Greater Manchester, you can get £10 off a hot composter or if you are feeling handy you can make your own hot compost bin.
A well-managed compost should not smell or be slimy, but if it does there a few of reasons why this may be happening:
Make sure your compost is covered, turn the compost and add some drier ’brown’ materials such as leaves, hedge cuttings or shredded plain paper or card and give it a good mix. Only put raw vegetable and fruit food waste in your compost or consider a composting system specially designed to take all food waste such as a Bokashi bin.
Add more green waste such as veg peelings, grass cuttings.
It’s a fact that flies are attracted to rotting food. However, there are simple ways to avoid your compost attracting flies. Make sure you mix and bury your food waste within your compost. You can also add a layer of brown materials such as leaves, shredded paper, or sawdust on top each time you add food waste. If you do get flies try leaving the lid off for a few hours on a sunny day, then place a layer of wet newspaper on top to create a barrier before you replace the lid.
Yes, especially in rainy Greater Manchester! A cover stops it becoming waterlogged in winter and keeps moisture in during the summer. You can cover open compost piles with things like plastic, old carpet or plywood.
We are now selling bagged compost at our Renew shops, which is made from food and garden waste from across the North West. It is Richmoor compost which is naturally peat free. You can also buy compost online for collection at the Renew Hub.
Prices are as follows
1x 40L bag for £3.75
3x 40L bags for £10.00
Don’t believe everything you hear when it comes to composting. Here are five common composting myths with some surprising truths!
Home composting reduces the energy needed to turn general waste into energy.
Leaf mould is made from decomposed leaves that have been broken down by fungus.
The £2.6m Greater Manchester Green Spaces Fund supports community-led projects that increase the amount and quality of accessible, nature-rich green space in the city region.
Every garden, balcony or yard, no matter how big or small, can support local wildlife and together we can make a huge difference to the area we live.
We are now selling bagged compost at our Renew Shops, which is made from food and garden waste from across the North West.
Sometimes hedgehogs may find a home in your compost, it’s warm and full of worms! So when you decide to turn over your compost just check that it is a hedgehog-free first!
To find out how you can encourage wildlife into your garden, yard or window box download the My Wild Garden booklet
