Master Composters

Home composting

Home composting has always been a no brainer for us. Each home compost bin saves 150 kg of waste from having to be transported away, and instead turns it into a great free product that benefits the environment, your soil, your garden, and everything you grow.

It's fair to say that at Garden Organic we love compost, and in our role as the UK's national charity for organic growing we take the opportunity to share this message amongst communities around the UK. Home composting is a fantastic sustainable solution to reducing the burden of household waste. Not only that, it provides fantastic, rich compost to use in your own garden.

Alongside our partners we recruit, train and support volunteer ambassadors who help us to share the virtues of composting to a wide audiences.

The Sustainable Communities Team at Garden Organic have a wealth of experience in composting, organic growing, volunteer management and community engagement. The team have been training both the public and waste professionals since 2001.

What is a Master Composter Programme?

Garden Organic's Master Composters are volunteers who spend time promoting home composting in their local community, encouraging householders to take up composting and ensuring those already composting continue to do so effectively. Master Composters come from many backgrounds and age groups; their unifying feature is their enthusiasm for encouraging more environmentally friendly waste management practices.

Master Composter Programmes are funded to operate in particular geographical areas. Working alongside local authorities and waste service providers, we tailor programmes to meet the demands within that respective area.

• Use of a home compost bin diverts approximately 150kg of waste from landfill each year. Therefore any Master Composter that encourages home composting reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill
• In one county, more than 6500 volunteer hours have been spent in promoting home composting; 89,000 compost bins sold, and an estimated 13,350 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill
• Community volunteer work builds social capital and sustainable communities

Our pioneering work in the establishment of Master Composter schemes in the UK and the training of home composting and recycling advisors has helped to bring composting into the mainstream. We are often the first port of call for anyone interested in learning more about home composting or setting up a Master Composter programme.

Garden Organic provides the technical expertise necessary to the scheme and provides various options for the day to day operational support to the volunteers.