You can reduce kitchen and garden waste by composting at home. Subsidised compost bins are available from Zero Waste Scotland. Over 19,500 compost bins have been sold to householders in Dumfries and Galloway through this campaign since April 2005.

Organic wastes such as fruit and vegetable peelings from the kitchen and grass cuttings from the garden can make up at least 30% of your household waste. Scotland produces enough organic waste every year to fill Hampden Stadium 18 times!

Home composting stops green waste from being transported around the region for treatment. It also creates a useful resource for the garden and could save you buying bags of soil conditioner or compost.  

If you leave organic material such as grass cuttings, prunings, dead plants and kitchen waste (fruit, vegetables, tea bags and egg shells) in a compost bin it will rot down into compost.

Dumfries and Galloway Council together with Zero Waste Scotland are offering compost bins at a reduced price.

The offer is limited to 2 bins per household and subject to availability and the current offer closes at the end of March 2011. Expect delivery within 28 days. For more details of terms and conditions and to order compost bins, call 0845 076 0223 or visit the Waste Aware Scotland website on Home Composting.