Cut-price compost bins are now being offered to people in Leicestershire

People in Harborough are being implored to start composting this autumn to make the area cleaner and greener.

Cut-price compost bins are now being offered to local people by Leicestershire County Council.

Composting your fallen leaves, prunings and grass cuttings is an excellent, natural way to dispose of your garden waste as winter looms.

Organic waste sent to landfill cannot decompose properly because it does not have any access to air so methane is generated – a greenhouse gas which accelerates climate change.

Cllr Blake Pain, the council’s cabinet member for the environment and the green agenda, said: “Composting is a simple action we can all take all year round to reduce waste and live more sustainably.

“Any Leicestershire resident can compost if they have an outdoor space - and free support is available from the council’s Master Composters.”

He added: “Not only does composting produce a free soil conditioner for your garden, it also helps to lower carbon emissions and reduce climate change.

“So, I encourage you to get involved, make a positive impact on the environment and help us meet our ultimate aim of becoming a net-zero county by 2045.”

Items such as coffee grounds, tea bags, newspapers, and fruit and vegetable peelings can also go in the compost bin.

They will take about a year to decompose.

The new compost – a brown soil-like substance with a crumbly texture - can then be dug back into the garden to provide nutrient rich food for your plants.

You can snap up a discounted compost bin from as little as £12, with a second one offered at half price.

Bins are made from 100 per cent recycled plastic and are available in two different sizes and colours.

For more details or to order a compost bin, visit www.getcomposting.com

For handy tips on what you can and can’t compost, visit: https://www.lesswaste.org.uk/compost/home-composting