Worms and recycling.....

Are wormeries suitable for composting cooked food waste? I see that many local authorities are now collecting this for re-cycling. I have always avoided putting cooked waste (incl meat etc) into the compost.

Thanks

Jeff    

Many thanks for your recent enquiry regarding which material is suitable for feeding your wormery. I would certainly advise against placing any meat (cooked or raw) or dairy products in the wormery, as these foodstuffs will attract vermin and are not easily digested by the worms. Vegetable peelings and scraps are fine, as are the remains of fruit.  

It’s true that local councils are now permitting all food waste to be placed in their garden waste ‘Green Bin’ (colours vary depending on where in the country you live) collections, and it’s my understanding that the contents of these bins are now treated at In-Vessel Composting Sites (IVC).

Recent outbreaks of foot and mouth disease gave rise to the Animal By-Products Regulations, and the result is that food waste is composted in these computer controlled high-tech machines, out of the reach of birds and rodents.  

Hopefully this information is of help, but if you have any further questions or queries regarding composting, please do not hesitate to contact me. We are possibly the only mail order gardening company to have a Master Composter on their books, so are very well placed to provide answers to any composting queries!

Martin