Council Celebrates International Compost Awareness Week
May 8, 2017
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council is celebrating International Compost Awareness Week from Monday 8th – Sunday 14th May with a number of promotions and events.
During this week, residents who visit the Council’s Household Recycling Centres may be eligible to receive one free bag of compost while stocks last. Only those residents who bring items to recycle during their visit will be offered a bag of compost.
The Council’s three recycling centres are located at:
- The Cutts, Derriaghy, BT17 9HN
- 6 Comber Road, Carryduff, BT8 8AN
- Dromara Road, Drumlough, Hillsborough, BT26 6QA
Councillor James Baird, Chairman of the Council’s Environmental Services Committee, said: “Celebrating Compost Week is an excellent opportunity to engage with residents and encourage them to keep up the good work by recycling their food waste. Residents are asked to use their brown bin instead of the landfill bin for food waste. All landfill bins have had a sticker placed on them recently to remind people food waste should no longer be disposed of in this bin.
“The food and garden waste that is collected via brown bins in the Council area and processed locally into compost, is what the Council is distributing free of charge to residents who recycle at any of the Council’s Household Recycling Centres during compost awareness week.
“I am delighted that the Council is able to offer home composters at a reduced price of £10 to residents during International Compost Awareness Week and throughout the year. These simple to use composters offer an excellent opportunity for residents to create their own compost for use in flowerpots and rose beds.
“Composting makes sense for both the environment and your pocket as it improves soil quality and reduces the amount of landfill waste, therefore, saving ratepayers’ money.”
The Council is partnering with Downshire Primary School, for its May Fair Event at Downshire Village Centre on 6th May 2017 from 10.00am - 1.00pm. Council staff will provide information on biodiversity, recycling & composting and making window boxes. A limited supply of bags of compost will be available during the day for those attending.
The Council has also organised three Waste Watchers Interactive shows at the Island Arts Centre Lisburn on Tuesday 9th May 2017 for local primary schools. These shows will be delivered by W5 who have created an interactive show about the science behind waste. The show helps schoolchildren learn about what cavemen and jam jars have in common, how car seats can be made from plastic bottles and what happens to some greenhouse gases when set alight!
Councillor Baird added: “During this week the Council will also be offering bags of compost to the local schools that are part of its Zero Food Waste initiative. This initiative returns useful compost to schools who have segregated and recycled waste food using the Council’s organic food & garden waste collection service. Schools can use this compost to improve their gardens or to grow plants flowers or crops from seed.”
For more information on recycling & waste management, to get a free kitchen caddy starter kit or purchase a home composter, please call the Recycling Hotline on 028 9250 9453 or log onto https://www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk/resident/bins-recycling or you can download the new Binformation App to locate your nearest recycling location or to discover more about recycling at https://www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk/binformation