Love mother earth this Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is looming large this Sunday, and a call is going out to think of mother earth at the same time.
Residents are being asked to remember that if they are showering their mums with flowers, and a special dinner, then the organic waste from all those extra treats for mum could make excellent ingredients for a compost bin and give your garden a treat too.
And backing the call from Warwickshire County Council and national recycling experts Recycle Now is keen home composter and BBC TV and radio presenter Philippa Forrester. She also knows about being a busy working mum and the joys of Mother’s Day. The TV star is backing the campaign to get the people of Warwickshire to compost at home.
Philippa said: “My three sons love to spoil me with flowers and gifts, but I make sure we compost all the wrappers, cards and flowers once Mother’s Day is over. Last year my husband surprised me by cleaning the house. Once I’d said thank you, I even made sure he put the vacuum contents into the compost bin!”
Cllr Martin Heatley, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio for the Environment, said: “Pampering your mum on Mother’s Day is great - it can create a bit of extra waste, but that’s where your compost bin can really help. Fruit and vegetable peelings from that special dinner; tea bags from her breakfast in bed and boxes from her chocolates – the possibilities are endless.
“Flowers are a traditional gift for Mother’s Day, but once they have been enjoyed and start to wilt they will add an ideal ‘green’ element to any compost bin.”
Compost bins need two elements: firstly ‘greens’, which are elements that are quick to rot and provide important nitrogen and moisture for your compost bin. Combine these green elements with ‘brown’ ingredients, such as paper, cardboard and cards – as long are they are sparkle free. By scrunching these you will provide essential air pockets to help speed up the decomposition process.
Home composting has great benefits for the environment too. When sent to landfill, air cannot get to the organic waste which then breaks down to create the harmful greenhouse gas methane, which damages the Earth’s atmosphere. However, when this same waste is composted above ground at home, oxygen helps the waste to decompose aerobically, which means almost no methane is produced, which is good news for the planet. And what’s more, after nine to twelve months, you get a free fertiliser for your garden and plant pots to keep them looking beautiful.
And remember that from April 2008, the funding Warwickshire County Council receives will be dramatically reduced and prices of compost bins could increase by more than 100%, doubling current prices.
Order your bin now ready for the spring. 220 litre bins can be purchased for just £8 or the larger 330 litre bins for just £10 including free delivery. A maximum of three bins can be ordered per household
Order online by visiting http://www.recyclenow.com/compost or call 0845 077 0757 quoting reference HCA1.