Zero Waste Scotland announce sale of 250,000 compost bins in Scotland

Zero Waste Scotland has announced that 250,000 subsidised compost bins have been sold through its Compost at Home campaign since it launched in 2004.  Over 27,000 of these bins have been distributed to householders in the Highlands.

The campaign, which has been supported by the Scottish Government, has provided a range of compost bins at reduced prices, to encourage more composting at home.

The average Scottish household produced an average of 1,179kg of waste in 2008/09, with paper and card, food and kitchen waste and garden waste making up the majority share. Over a third of the contents of an average UK household bin are suitable for home composting, including tea bags, egg shells, grass cuttings and garden waste and even the contents from a vacuum cleaner.

The Compost at Home campaign has been a resounding success and has enabled over 200,000 households to start composting at home.  The use of these compost bins has meant that 160,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste has been composted, saving greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 60,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. 

The scheme has also saved councils an estimated £12 million in costs associated with treating or disposing of this waste, had they collected it.

Commenting on the success of the campaign, Tim Morton, Programme Manager at Zero Waste Scotland said: “Home composting is not only environmentally friendly, but also produces excellent free compost which can be used on flower beds and vegetable plots, ensuring that your garden grows greener.

“It is fantastic to have reached this landmark sales figure which demonstrates how householders across Scotland are committed to helping to reduce the amount of waste that gets sent to landfill. Over 27,000 compost bins in the Highland Council area were distributed to residents who took advantage of the scheme, so well done to everyone who is helping to make Scotland a zero waste society by composting at home.”

As the scheme has achieved all of its targets, the sale of subsidised compost bins will end in March 2011. Zero Waste Scotland will continue to promote home composting and will now focus on providing support and advice to new and more experienced composters and work with community networks to provide a comprehensive outreach service.