Rules and advice for the ECA composting facility

When organic materials fully break down they form a crumbly material known as compost, this is rich in plant nutrients and will support growth and productivity.

It relies on the activity of microbes (fungi and bacteria) and invertebrates (especially worms) to decompose tough plant material like lignin to make the nutrients available again.

Two categories of waste are needed, 'green' which are nitrogen rich and 'brown' which are carbon rich. For greens think of fresh recently-living plant material, food waste, grass cuttings and coffee grounds. Browns on the other hand are materials like straw, cardboard and fallen tree leaves.

So long as there is a mixture of those components, sufficient moisture and oxygen, decomposition will start.

Greens are more common from Spring to Autumn, and browns from Autumn to Spring, so there can be an issue with keeping things balanced. We keep a supply of brown material on it own in the composting area, please use this to balance out any green material being added if needed.

How to compost

There are many ways to compost, but the main method used at the ECA is simple, low input and easy to follow. This should be able to reliably convert a bay full of waste into compost in a year's time.

Before adding material, try to cut it into smaller parts as this will speed up decomposition and make the pile more space efficient.

Assuming a new bay is being started, put down a thin layer of brown material followed by a thin layer of green material. This can be continued until the bay is full, at which point a new bay should be started. The pile will shrink over time, so new material can be added when space is made available.

We will include an air tube in the centre of the pile, to give passive air flow throughout.

After a year the compost is ready to harvest if the initial plant material can't be recognised as it has broken down. It can be taken as is, or after being sieved to create a finer mix for seedlings. Sieved material can be added to the next bay for further breakdown.

What to avoid

Do not add anything that could result in the growth of human pathogens, such as meat or dairy products.

Do not add plants affected by pests or disease, these could transfer to plants receiving the resulting compost in the next year.

Do not add soil, either alone or as part of the rootball of a removed plant. Soil is inert, won't decompose and will waste space in the compost bays. Consider cutting your plants at the base of the soil and letting the roots rot in place.