Council Dishes the Dirt In Compost Giveaway

Submitted by edg on Fri, 26 Feb '10 8.07am

It may not feel like Spring, but for gardeners the growing season is almost upon us. It means that garden waste collections become fortnightly from March. To mark the occasion the City of Edinburgh Council has been giving away free bags of compost made from recycled garden waste. The first giveaway was yesterday at Fox Covert Primary School in Corstorphine, with further compost give-aways planned today and later.

 You can also pick up a new or replacement garden waste bin for recycling. Advisors will be on hand with information about Council recycling services and volunteers from the Master Composter programme will be sharing knowledge about composting.

Edinburgh gardeners recycled over 25,000 tonnes of garden waste last year. Garden waste is collected throughout the year, but in the colder months (from November) the collections are monthly with it resuming to fortnightly in March during the growing season. Compost from garden waste is spread on Edinburgh's parks and public gardens and given, free of charge, to community groups.

Items that can be recycled are flowers and plants, grass clippings, hedge trimmings, small branches and woody stems, Christmas trees, garden weeds, and leaves.

Cllr Gordon Mackenzie, Convener of the Council's Transport, Infrastructure & Environment Committee, said: "Our aim is to recycle and compost 40 percent of all waste by 2012 and Edinburgh residents can help to achieve this by continuing to recycle their household waste and garden waste. We are hoping that by providing this compost made from the city's garden waste, we will raise awareness of the real benefits of recycling."

Compost Giveaways

Friday 5 March, Noon

Hermitage Park Primary School
Hermitage Park
Edinburgh
EH6 8HD

Monday 8 March, 3pm
Gracemount Primary School
Lasswade Road
Edinburgh
EH16 6AU

Wednesday 17 March, 3pm
Craigentinny Primary School
Loganlea Drive
Edinburgh
EH7 6LR

Monday 22 March, 3pm
Colinton Primary School
Redford Place
Edinburgh
EH13 0AL