In a landfill site, biodegradable organic matter such as food, paper, cardboard, textiles, and garden waste will be broken down (decomposed) by microbes anaerobically to produce a mixture of carbon dioxide (CO²) and methane.

Methane is a very damaging greenhouse gas. Weight for weight it's more damaging than carbon dioxide. In cutting down the amount of biodegradable waste you send to landfill sites you can effectively help minimise the amount of methane emitted into the atmosphere.

Using compost bins allows oxygen to break down the waste aerobically, producing hardly any methane, and you'll get nutrient-rich compost as an added bonus.

There is a huge amount of garden and kitchen waste which you can put into your compost bin. Compostable items are broken down into two categories, 'greens' and 'browns'. The contents of most compost bins are recommended to be 50% greens and 50% browns.

Greens include grass cuttings, young weeds, spent plants, tea bags, coffee grounds, and vegetable peelings. These rot quickly to provide nitrogen and moisture which is vital for your compost.

Browns include straw, sticks and twigs, wool, hair, cardboard, sawdust, and ashes. These rot more slowly, and create air pockets as well as providing fibre and carbon. Crushed eggshells are also a good source of minerals.

Avoid composting milk products, cooking oil, meat products, used personal products, rice, or bread products. These can attract pests and also make your compost a health hazard.

Discover our full range of compost bins at Primrose including garden composters for outdoor use, kitchen composters you can keep indoors, and a selection of composting accessories.

The good news is you can put a range of garden and organic household waste in your plastic composter. For the best quality compost, try to include a mix of nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich waste along with moisture where required.

Here are some examples of items you can put in your plastic compost bin:

• Food scraps (e.g. fruit and vegetable peels)
• Coffee grounds
• Grass clippings
• Leaves
• Straw
• Twigs
• Shredded paper
• Paper towels
• Rinsed egg shells
• Egg cartons

To maintain the quality of your end compost, you'll want to avoid adding the following to your compost bin:

• Meat and fish waste
• Dairy waste
• Bread
• Coal and ash
• Cat litter
• Weeds
• Gloss paper