What a load of rubbish!

1:38pm Sunday 11th May 2008

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YORK residents have been kings of composting this week.

City of York Council's waste and recycling team has worked with volunteer group York Rotters to encourage everyone to compost during this week's Compost Awareness Week.

York Rotters is a group of residents who provide advice and support both for people who already home compost and those that want to start to home compost.

The Rotters have been at locations throughout the city this week, with environmental experts on hand to explain how to start composting and to answer any queries that people may have.

The week of action had culminated today with an event at the York Environment Centre to allow would-be composters the chance to learn the finer details of composting.

Julie Fern, gardener at the National Trust's Treasurer's House, said: "With expert advice on hand throughout the day from York Rotters, we're hoping that visitors will be inspired by our attempts to generate our own compost in the herb garden while reducing waste from Treasurer's House, one of York's heritage attractions that is open free to York Residents from today to Thursday.

"We have a traditional compost bin but also a wormery.

"If you've never seen hundreds of worms busy making compost before, we'd like people to come and take a look and perhaps have a go at home."

Organisers were also helping to to train volunteers to become York Rotters.

Erin Gardner, from the council's waste and recycling team, said: "Compost-ing is a cheap and easy way to help the environment, help your garden and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, and this week is an ideal time for first-time composters to find out more."

Residents in York were given the chance earlier this year of getting hold of discounted home compost bins thanks to a new partnership between York and North Yorkshire Waste Partnership.

Between April and November of last year, 693 York residents bought a compost bin.

For more information on how to volunteer as a York Rotter, or the work of the Rotters, phone the York Rotter project officer on 01904 412861.

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