The recipe to nailing composting

Some facts about compost

Research shows that 60 per cent of all household waste is organic material. When organic material like this is sent to landfill it creates methane. In fact, a tonne of organic waste breaks down anaerobically in landfill to generate 1.2 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent). It's in the form of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Landfill gas emissions represent 3 per cent of Australia's greenhouse gas footprint.

To combat this, grab a composting bin and throw your scraps into that rather than your normal rubbish bin. This will help divert organics from landfill. It's not only a cheap and effective greenhouse gas abatement action but it's something you can easily do at home and produces compost that is great for your garden!

Maze has a great range  to choose from, but a tumbler bin will make the process that much easier. It's easy to turn, and even better when the compost is ready, there's a door at the base that opens so the compost can be easily extracted and put straight onto the garden.

How to make compost

Making compost is a bit like making a cake. Add organic materials into the bin, mix them together to get the air through and in six to eight weeks, it's transformed into compost and ready for the garden! 

When making compost, a good rule of thumb is to mix a balance of green materials such as kitchen scraps and lawn clippings, with brown materials, which could include straw and autumn leaves. 

Keep an eye on the mix. If it becomes wet and smelly, add some more brown materials. And turn it more regularly to keep it aerated. 

Don't add meat or cheese, these could attract vermin and smell as they decompose.

Five composting tips

1. To help speed up the compost process, chop and shred material into really small pieces.
2. To work well and break down, compost needs air. The beauty of the Maze tumbler system, is that it's easy to turn to get pockets of air into the mix and keep your compost well aerated. 
3. Turn the compost regularly. For example, when adding new waste to your tumbler give it a turn, plus a few extra times a week for good results.
4. When your compost is ready, it should smell like earth. Then it's time to empty your bin and add the compost to your garden.
5. For good results, use it as mulch or dig into the soil to help improve the soil structure, and increase micro organisms.

Home grown compost

It's a no brainer. Start composting at home and give your garden soil some love with your homegrown compost. Not only will it help your garden thrive, but it will benefit the environment too! For more information on how to compost, watch our video for our tips. Check out your local Bunnings to pick up a compost bin and get started.