Gardeners who want to compost food waste are being offered a discount on home composters thanks to a partnership between Kirklees Council and Original Organics.

Residents who want to care for the environment, reduce food waste and save money are being offered a 40% discount on the three specialist composters. If they are in receipt of Council Tax Reduction, the discount rises to 70%.

The three options are either a Green Johanna Composter, a Three Tray Tiger Wormery or a Bokashi Bin to compost kitchen food waste.

Clr Will Simpson, Cabinet member for culture and greener Kirklees, said: “Whether you use a Green Johanna, a Tiger Wormery, or Bokashi Bin, you will be making a personal contribution to improving our environment and helping to reduce waste and carbon emissions.

“We are hoping to begin by funding around 2,000 discounts as part of our strategic aim to reduce waste – and if the response is positive, we may be able to extend the discounts again in the years to come.”

Clr Naheed Mather, Cabinet member for environment, who has been a strong advocate for home composting, welcomed the discount and said: “These composters have proved very popular with residents in previous trials, and we are very confident that this great offer will be taken up with equal enthusiasm.

“The 70% discount, aimed at recipients of Council Tax Reduction supports our inclusivity strategy, and means that everyone will be offered the chance to reduce food waste.”

The Johanna Hot Composter

There are many benefits to composting food and garden waste. It means buying less expensive chemical-based plant feed or fertilizer, which right now is going to be helpful to family budgets.

As well as cutting down on waste, the compost can be used to improve the quality of garden soil and help maintain its pH levels, it will absorb water, which makes for healthier plants and crops.

To choose a composter and get one of the discounts – CLICK HERE

Each one of the composters employs an individual method, but the basic principles are the same.

330L Green Johanna Hot Composter (suitable for food and garden waste) – £67.42 (including 40% discount)

The Green Johanna is a hot composter, which means it is generally faster at producing usable compost than a traditional composter. It uses aerobic decomposition – that is when organic material is exposed to oxygen, which helps to speed up the breakdown of waste products. Compost production in a hot composter can be as quick as 12 weeks, making it a fast and efficient composting solution.

3 Tray Standard Tiger Wormery Black – £47.32 (including 40% discount)

Wormeries, or Vermicomposters, are a different type of composting system which relies on the use of worms, specifically tiger worms (Eisenia fetida), to break down organic matter. Tiger worms, unlike earthworms, spend most of their life inhabiting topsoil, and don’t tend to burrow deep into the ground. This makes them ideal for composting in trays, as the shallow environment mimics the earth in which they normally live.

18L Double Bokashi Composter Kit with 2kg Bokashi Bran – £45.82 (including 40% discount)

A Bokashi composter is a great composting solution that produces two types of plant food. An easy, no-smell method of home composting, Bokashi composting is a quick fermentation process, originating in Japan. Unlike most other forms of composting, you can add anything to your Bokashi bin—including meat and dairy, and you won’t need to turn its contents.

Most Bokashi composters are small enough to fit on your kitchen counter, or cupboard, meaning that you can make it part of your kitchen routine when clearing food waste. Simply add your food waste to the Bokashi bin with a handful of Bokashi bran (a substance filled with beneficial microorganisms) and push down the material. Over time the mix will ferment and start to break down.

To choose a composter and get one of the discounts – CLICK HERE