Composting

At The Great Lawn Company, we believe in preserving the environment as much as possible, which means being as eco-friendly as possible and recycling materials where we can.

Compost forms as a result of the natural breakdown of organic material derived from dead animals and plants.  The “breaking down” is aerobic i.e. an oxygen using process performed by the bacteria, fungi, insects and animals which inhabit soil.  In a compost heap these organisms generate heat as they decompose organic matter and break it into fine particles.  This heat kills disease pathogens and weeds seeds. Composting is nature’s own and oldest method of waste disposal, soil conditioning and plant fertilisation.

The natural composting process

Applying compost to soils provides an excellent conditioner and mulch, which fertilises plants and provides soil structure, retains moisture and can restrict weed growth. Man-made compost is an eco-friendly alternative to the peat-based compost generally extracted from important natural wildlife sites.

In the UK, around 30 million tonnes of domestic refuse is produced each year, which contains on average about 38% organic content, such as vegetable peelings, tea bags and food scraps which can be recycled. The creation of compost from organic household waste helps the government achieve its target of recycling 33% of all domestic waste by 2015. Individual households can help reach this target by making their own compost; our greener garden advice page offers useful tips for making your own compost.