When Valentine’s Day red roses go green
Warwickshire’s loved-up residents are being urged to get those Valentine’s Day flowers into the compost bin – once they’ve wilted of course.
It is predicted that on Valentines Day, the average sales of fresh flowers in Warwickshire doubles - which will create a lot of organic waste that could be put to good use in compost bins across the area.
Cllr Alan Cockburn, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “Many people ask ‘Why home compost?’. Well, home composting diverts waste from landfill sites. In landfill, waste breaks down without oxygen and gives off the harmful greenhouse gas methane. When composted at home, the same waste breaks down with oxygen, and as a result no methane is produced which is better for the environment. What’s more, the finished compost can be put to good use as a free natural fertiliser for plants and gardens, so everyone’s a winner!”
By home composting, you can reduce the amount of waste you send to landfill sites. And it is not just vegetable peelings and dead leaves that can be recycled in this way – occasions such as Valentine’s Day are a great time to remember the variety of items you can add to your compost bin. After the Valentine’s celebrations and declarations of love are a distant memory, old flowers will be a perfect ingredient. Flowers are a ‘green’ ingredient and rot quickly to provide moisture and nitrogen for the compost, which makes for a nutritious end product.
It is vital to mix these ‘green’ items with more fibrous ‘brown’ items such as shredded paper and card as these will add structure to your compost and allow air in. So, those cards that say ‘I love you’ can also say ‘I love my compost bin’. Either rip-up or scrunch the cards and add them to the mix – and in nine to twelve months you will have a batch of perfectly balanced compost.
Order your bin now ready for the spring. 220 litre bins can be purchased for just £14 or the larger 330 litre bins for just £17 plus delivery. Both sizes are on offer at ‘Buy One Get One Half Price’.
Order online by visiting http://www.wcc.getcomposting.com or call 0844 571 4444.