Reducing your waste and composting

Food waste composters are similar to traditional compost bins but they are able to take ALL cooked and uncooked food waste including meat, fish, bones, dairy products, vegetables and fruit.

The Green Johanna food waste composter produces an excellent quality compost for use in your garden. Designed for a shady position, it is a hot composter and breaks down all food waste quickly. It is also suitable for your garden waste.

As a Wiltshire resident you can buy a Green Johanna for just £68 (discounted from £144.99).

Order yours now from Great Green Systems (opens new window).

• composters can be bought from Great Green Systems (opens new window)
• you can also order by calling Great Green Systems on 0113 323 5780 and provide your postcode to benefit from the Wiltshire Council subsidised cost. 

• food waste is a major issue. In the UK we throw away 7 million tonnes of food and drink from our homes every year, the majority of which could have been eaten
• it's costing us £12.5bn a year and is bad for the environment too
• to reduce the amount of food waste that you throw away and for handy recipe tips that utilise your left overs, information on date labelling, portion sizing and storage information, visit Love food hate waste (opens new window)

• by shopping smart, you can reduce your waste and save money by buying less often
• buy products with little or no packaging eg loose fruit and vegetables, take re-usable bags shopping, avoid buying disposable items and try using refills, repair items where possible, close the loop and buy products made from recycled goods.

Why not save money and help the environment at the same time by using real nappies?

Wiltshire Council, in conjunction with the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, are working to promote environmentally sustainable parenting in Wiltshire.

As part of that initiative, the Wiltshire Real Nappy Campaign aims to provide parents with information about the benefits of real nappies. Modern reusable nappies:

To find out about the Wiltshire Real Nappy Campaign or to receive one of Wiltshire Wildlife Trust's free trial kits call 01380 725670, visit Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (opens new window).

• easy to wash
• have no need to be soaked
• have no chemical content
• have soft, natural fibres against baby's delicate skin
• use less energy and water, even including the washing
• are not tested on animals
• save more than a tonne of waste from going to landfill
• save up to £500+ compared with the cost of disposable nappies

• half a million tonnes of junk mail is generated every year in the UK, with the average household receiving over 220 pieces of unwanted junk mail
• if you wish to reduce the amount of Junk Mail that you receive through your door - register for free with the Mailing Preference Service and remove your name and address from up to 95%  of mailing lists
• Mailing Preference Service (opens new window) or call 0845 703 4599

• buy a compost bin from most garden centres or DIY stores
• alternatively you can build your own compost heap
• if you want to purchase a food waste composter which can compost all cooked and uncooked food waste, as well as garden waste, you can order one at a subsidised cost. Order yours now from Great Green Systems (opens new window).

For more information, you can view how to make your own compost (opens new window).

To make successful compost you need a good balance of green and brown garden waste.

Green garden waste

• grass cuttings
• weeds
• fruit/vegetable scraps
• flowers/plant cuttings
• hedge clippings
• prunings

Brown garden waste

• tea bags
• coffee grounds and filters
• egg shells
• dried grass/weeds and leaves
• straw/hay and pet bedding
• wood ash, sawdust and wood shavings
• cardboard eg egg boxes, tubes