Go to the My neighbourhood Search page
Get local information using your postcode, including:
- Bin Collection Days
- Planning Applications
- Recycling Sites
Quick links
Do it online
Featured pages
out of hours
Out of hours emergency number for all Forest Heath District Council services
01284 763252
Contact Us

The Planning Portal

When you click on a link marked with you will be taken to a page on the Planning Portal

The Planning Portal is the UK Government online planning and building regulations resource

Home Composting


For more information, please contact Environmental Services:

Telephone: 01638 719284
Email: sort-it@forest-heath.gov.uk

Recycle logo Up to 30% of household rubbish can be home composted instead of being sent to our landfills, making a useful product for your garden! Home composting reduces rubbish and reuses organic materials. It also saves you money on expensive fertilizers or soil improvers.

When organic matter is buried in a landfill site, the airless conditions prevent the natural composting processes. The materials ferment, producing both toxic liquids that can leach into nearby groundwater and methane - an explosive, potent contributor to the greenhouse effect. Carbon emissions are also produced in the collection and transportation of this easily home compostable waste.

Getting Started

It is surprisingly easy to make your own compost. You do not need any sophisticated or expensive equipment.

To help you get started Forest Heath residents are able to take advantage of a reduced price compost scheme where you are able to order a range of compost bins, compost assessories, and even water butts.

Reduced price compost products can be ordered online by clicking on http://www.suffolk.getcomposting.com/ or via a Public Order Line - 0844 571 4444


Wormeries
If you live in a flat or have a very small garden, and want to recycle your kitchen scraps the answer might be a worm-bin. A wormery can be kept inside or out, on a balcony, in a garage or shed or under your sink! It will not only provide you with compost and fertiliser for your plants but it is an environmentally friendly way to get rid of your organic waste. A small wormery will cope with the kitchen waste from a family of four!

To find out more about setting up your own wormery visit www.wigglywigglers.co.uk


Using your compost

Compost is used as a substitute for peat, improving soil structure and water retention and slowly releases nutrients back into the soil. Your compost will be ready to use any time between four months and two years with the finished compost found at or near the bottom and centre of the compost bin.

To access your compost, lift off the layers of material that have yet to decompose – this can be returned to the compost bin when you have removed the compost.

Compost can be applied to your garden at any time. Early spring is always ideal though as it helps supply the nutrients before planting. Compost can be dug into the soil, to a depth of four to six inches. If you are applying compost as a top dressing you may wish to sift it first. 

Further Help
You can ring the RecycleNow Compost Helpline on 0845 600 0323 - (Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Sat, 9am-1pm)- or visit www.recyclenow.com/compost for information about setting up your home composting bin and advice on how to make and use compost.

If you are not able to make your own compost you can buy soil improver from each of the councils Household Waste Recycling Centres

All excess garden waste that you can't manage at home can be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centre
Copyright| Disclaimer| Privacy| Internet Standards
Forest Heath District Council District Offices, College Heath Road, Mildenhall. Suffolk IP28 7EY Tel: +44(0)1638 719000