Compost Awareness Week

Green-fingered plant enthusiasts and budding gardeners will already know the benefits of composting at home and during Mid and East Antrim's Compost Week, Council is helping to spread the message throughout the borough.
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Paul Reid, pictured with Council staff ahead of Compost Awareness WeekMayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Paul Reid, pictured with Council staff ahead of Compost Awareness Week
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Paul Reid, pictured with Council staff ahead of Compost Awareness Week

Since Council extended its food waste collection service in April 2017, it has redirected an additional 20,000 tonnes of green and food waste away from landfill, not only saving ratepayers’ money, but the compost has been used as a ‘soil improver’ at our parks and open spaces.

Next week (May 7-12), Mid and East Antrim residents are being invited to pop down to their nearest recycling centre and pick up a free bag of compost, which has been made from food and garden waste collected across the borough.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Paul Reid, praised citizens for their recycling efforts.

He said: “There has been an excellent response from our residents and I commend them for their overwhelming support and making the switch from black to brown bins. This saves ratepayers’ money and also combats environmental damage.

“It costs twice as much to dispose of food waste in a black bin as it does to recycle food waste from a brown bin.

“Unwanted food that ends up in landfill is the most polluting type of waste due to the release of harmful gases.

“Rather than pollute the environment, that waste is increasingly being put to great use in Mid and East Antrim as high quality compost which is then made available to our residents. Brown is the New Black in our Borough and this is a complete win-win for all of us in Mid and East Antrim.”

Changes to food waste collections came into effect throughout the Borough back in April 2017, with residents urged to dispose of food waste into brown bins as opposed to black.

Reduced landfill costs as a result of the move are expected to deliver annual savings of £200,000 – meaning those funds are available for other projects and work within Mid and East Antrim.

Visit your local Household Recycling Centre and pick up a bag of compost during Compost Awareness Week.

Council has a limited supply of compost, therefore it is one bag per car, and when it’s gone, it’s gone!

If you would like any more information on food waste to compost, or to find out more about recycling, visit www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/resident/waste-recycling or contact [email protected] / [email protected]

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