Compost News

Hot on the heels of my Master Composter course follows this press release, re-inforcing the importance of the initative and the role the partnership organisations play, along with publicising the fact that Harrod Horticultural now have a compost guru on board!

I've reproduced it below for your perusal...

COMPOST ADVICE FROM THE MASTER!

Leading horticultural mail order company Harrod Horticultural can now boast a Master Composter within their ranks, following the latest Norfolk County Council training course.

Company horticulturalist Martin Fiddes successfully completed the two day introduction to home composting and can now offer expert support to customers, along with advising local communities of the benefits of making their own compost.

Managing director of the Lowestoft-based company, Stephanie Harrod, was delighted that they could back up sales of composting products with additional knowledge. “Composting is proving a very popular gardening activity but we are well aware of the need to educate people, as it’s easy to become disillusioned if things don’t turn out as you expected”, she commented. “Martin can now advise customers how to make good quality compost and encourage households in Norfolk to start producing their own too.”

With Norfolk County Council sending 38.5% of rubbish each year for recycling and composting – way above the Government target of 30% - it’s essential that the county’s 60 Master Composters continue their volunteer work in the community promoting home composting, and therefore help divert compostable refuse from landfill sites.

“Just one home composting bin can keep 220kg of waste from being buried in landfill sites each year”, said Martin, “with as much as 45% of the average household bin suitable for the heap.” He continued; “gardeners – and gardens - benefit from the free compost produced and the environment also gets a helping hand, as sending organic waste to landfill produces methane, more harmful than carbon dioxide.”

The Master Composter scheme is the result of a partnership between Norfolk County Council, the UK’s leading organic charitable organisation Garden Organic and the WRAP (Waster Resources Action Programme) Home Composting Programme. For further information of how to get involved with home composting in Norfolk, please contact David Hawkyard on 01603 223328 or Jenny Cross (01603 223829) or e-mail david.hawkyard@norfolk.gov.uk or jenny.cross@norfolk.gov.uk. Details of Harrod Horticultural can be found at www.harrodhorticultural.com