To celebrate International Compost Awareness Week (Monday, 4 to Sunday, 10 May), Mansfield District Council is encouraging more people to get composting.

The council is teaming up with getcomposting.com to offer residents some great savings on compost converters, which retail from as little as £17.98, plus there is a ‘Buy One Get One Half Price” offer.

There are a range of compost bins and accessories available to suit both new recruits and seasoned gardeners, so with 2015 being the International Year of Soils, there is no better time to get composting.

Home composting is a great way to reduce the amount of organic kitchen waste that goes into your household bin and has the added benefit of producing a FREE supply of top quality compost that will not only improve the quality of home grown fruit and vegetables, but will also increase their yield.

Composting is also good for the planet, as it recycles nutrients that make plants and animals grow, feeds the bugs that keep the soil healthy and is a sustainable, low-cost way of dealing with rubbish that rots. One gram of compost can be home to literally millions of microscopic creatures.

If home composting is not for you, this may be a good time to make use of MDC’s Garden Waste Collection Service. It costs £25 per year for a year-round service with fortnightly collections from March to November and a monthly service in December, January and February. The cost is the same, even if you join partway through the year – so join now to get the most out of the service.

The following waste can be recycled in brown bins:

•Grass cuttings
•Hedge trimmings
•Leaves
•Small branches and twigs
•Plants
•Weeds
•Cut flowers

Martyn Thurman, Head of Neighbourhood Services at Mansfield District Council, said: “More than 30% of the average household waste can be composted and although many households already compost at home, we want others to get involved. Home-composting organic waste helps to significantly reduce carbon emissions and can also be used as an effective and sustainable waste management method to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.”

To find out more about compost bins, visit www.getcomposting.com or call 0844 571 4444. To sign up for Mansfield District Council’s Garden Waste Collection Service, call 01623 463463 or apply online at www.mansfield.gov.uk/brownbin