Firstly the compost "cube" is working :) though I've added extra air ventilation to the sides and learnt to keep the mix of waste "drier". Initially I was adding cardboard as a "brown balance" for all the vegetable trimmings, but it was time consuming to shred and didn't seem to soak up enough of the moisture to stop the compost going anaerobic (compacted and smelly!). So I started to collect more dry carbon rich waste at the back end of 2014, from wherever I saw it dying back. It was surprisingly easy to shred and store this material and it add to the nitrogen rich waste I was collecting. By adding just under the equivalent volume of "brown" to "green" waste I seemed to hit on a happy mix that kept the temperature up and reduce moisture content.
In an effort to maintain a ready supply of dry carbon I recently found a useful local source that will hopefully keep me going through the year :)
The photo shows a raised bed at the Gatherums in Louth benefitting from a liberal dose of locally generated compost. I managed to sift out about 80 kg of finer compost from the initial heap in April 2015, approx. 8 months after accumulation.
and the trike got an extra front wheel! This Noomad conversion has increased the load carrying options and also improved the handling and braking efficiency of the trike.
Got some nice banners for the trailer too :)
You can see from the collection data here that the number of households and quantities of waste have increased from 2014. There are 21 households on the route now and we're collecting approx. 40kg per week.
I've also started composting green waste that accumulates at Louth Cemetery in conjunction with Louth Town Council. I'm hoping that in the near future there can be another residential collection round in that area of the Town.
Here's my son Jack helping on the collection round...do you fancy helping out too? I'm seeking out local composters to help expand the project.
Please get in touch if you can help with ideas or brawn ..or both ! :)
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