MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR
HOUSEHOLD WASTE
By Neil Ardiff of Longford Learder
Composting Programme to raise awareness
The Longford Environmental Alliance (LEA) is set to boost awareness of recycling issues through its
innovative and informative practical guide to composting and all it entails. The homestead of LEA' s Ray Hogan,
a Bord na Mona employee from Lanesboro, who himself takes recycling to new levels, is certain that education
and awareness is the key;
"We have begun to notice that a lot of people don't understand what can be recycled and so have put together a
programme explaining what composting is and how it can be done in the home" he says.
An avid beekeeper, Hogan himself employs a multi-bin system,. dividing his household waste into separate
areas for paper, plastics, glass, aluminium and food waste. and believes in today's society we are not making the
most of the materials at our disposable.
"We should take materials and use and use and use them, instead of throwing items away after one use," he says,
"Society has gone askew in the massive amounts of energy and resources if uses every day. We are currently very
bad users of our: resources and should be more aware that the decisions that we make at the trolley have a
significant impact" he says, before going on to explain in detail the composting system through his slickly
designed PowerPoint presentation.
One of the key areas where people go wrong in their composting is that they do not use enough "brown.
products," i.e., paper and cardboard packaging. This helps the chemical reaction in the compost and reduces the
risk of the compost developing into a smelly goo. Compost bins can be cheaply purchased or fashioned from such
sturdy items as a water tank.
A common mistake people often make is to place the compost in a heap by a fence or wall at the back of the
garden. This is an absolute magnet for vermin. Compost bins or heaps should be away from the fence or wall and
this should eliminate the need for rat poison or bait. For optimum performance, more than one bin should be used,
whereby a rotating system can be set up in order that compost at different stages can react against each other.
Hogan's garden is an environmentalist's delight, with many compost bins, a solar panel, beehives and an
impressive heap of grass that dominates one corner, as well as an area devoted to crushing cans and wood
shredding. Hogan surely practises what he preaches, and is hopeful that his composting drive will boost the LEA' s
work in advancing a greener approach every day. Further information is available at www.l-e-a.org.
COMPOSTING POINTERS
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Divide your household waste into different categories
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Don't be afraid to put waste paper and cardboard into your compost
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Keep your compost bins well away from walls or fences
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Keep more than one compost bin Rotate your compost