[swaine]

The local council here in South Yorkshire collects green waste and cardboard every fortnight, and then sends it all to be composted. I think its composted somewhere in the Doncaster area.

You can then buy the treated compost in some local garden centres.

I'm thinking of getting some bags of this compost to break up and rejuvenate some heavy ground in my raised beds.

Has anyone used this type of municipal compost as a soil conditioner? and what sort of results did they get from it?

I'm asking because I'm a little sceptical about what might survive the composting process, particularly weeds and pests. (I guess we are not the only ones to put the decent stuff in our own compost maker and use the council collection to get rid of the rest ( and any surplus).

Anyone got any good or bad experience of this type of compost?

[DD.]

I too am sceptical since our council had the idea of taking waste away from our site and bringing it back composted.

It was pointed out that since we were not allowed bonfires, all diseased material, blight, club root - of which we had plenty - etc. went in there, and that the composting process should ensure that this was destroyed.

They admitted they hadn't thought about that and dropped the idea.

[Glosterboy]

Are we all saying that we GIVE our local councils our waste(paper, cardboard and garden waste). Who then convert it into compost. And then we gladly BUY the resulting compost from the council.

Am I missing something here??

[DD.]

Yes you are.

Compost doesn't make itself, labour costs are involved. If you want to give it away free, then you'll have to raise council tax to compensate.

It also stops freeloaders who put nothing in, but are willing to take out.

[Glosterboy]

Yes DD I understand what you are implying. But, the cost of producing (labour etc) the compost is surely partly offset by the selling of the compost.

Oh!! Who buys the paper, cardboard and kitchen waste in the first place? Us of course!! Is it therefore not a double whammy?

First we buy. Then we give. And then we buy again. As in all aspects of life there are gainers and then there are losers.

Which are we?

[allstars_princess]

Our local council just scrapped its scheme.  The returned compost was free but seemed to contain hundreds of weeds.  As stated above, I think they did not think it through.  A revised plan for composting is being put forward in the next month or so.  I will wait and see....

At least we were not charged for it! 

[DD.]

Yes DD I understand what you are implying. But, the cost of producing (labour etc) the compost is surely partly offset by the selling of the compost.

Read what I posted again. That's exactly what I said. If it was given away, you'd have to fund it by other means.

Yes, you buy it and get it back. Doesn't process itself though and it stops people taking out of the process who don't input at all.

[noshed]

We get free council compost - it is black and full of quite big bits and when it arrives (a massive lorry load at a time) it is red hot.
It is great for mulching, weed suppressing and soil conditioning. No good for seed sowing.
It is great for free, my brassicas have never been better.

[DD.]

Sounds like they do it proper, like.

My lot are clueless.

[Glosterboy]

I am sorry DD you are missing the point of my response.

If you are willing to give your bought waste to your local council. And then a week later pop along to your local council recycle plant and ask "can I buy back that waste I gave you, which you have turned into compost?" The reply will be. Thank you sir. That will be £x. It would appear that you have an open wallet.

My point regarding compost. At all times each gardener is responsible for their own compost. Therefore, any and all waste should be recycled by their own means. Usually, a compost heap!!!!

[Gemma_25]

We had a fair few bag's from our local tip once, it wasn't that expensive and was much better quality than that from B&Q or places like that. 

[swaine]

I'm not too bothered about having to pay for the compost made from the garden waste I gave the council, although of course Id rather have it for free!! I understand where Glosterboy is coming from.

My post was more about the quality of the compost that is being produced by the councils in South Yorkshire. Allstars Princess said that the compost in her area was full of weeds. Do we have anyone on the forum who has used the compost made in South Yorkshire? Also has anyone seen any articles about the weed and pest potential of this type of "municipal compost"?

I'm tempted to buy the stuff, but I have this nagging doubt at the back of my mind.

[DD.]

I am sorry DD you are missing the point of my response.

If you are willing to give your bought waste to your local council. And then a week later pop along to your local council recycle plant and ask "can I buy back that waste I gave you, which you have turned into compost?" The reply will be. Thank you sir. That will be £x. It would appear that you have an open wallet.

My point regarding compost. At all times each gardener is responsible for their own compost. Therefore, any and all waste should be recycled by their own means. Usually, a compost heap!!!!

OK - going back to your first post. We don't have to buy back anything at all. No one is forcing you. It's your choice as to whether you take to the council to compost or do it yourself.

You seem to be missing my point that they get something back from those who otherwise would gladly take out without giving the input.

[cooperman]

my local council (Hertfordshire) produce a good compost from green bin collections, its properly bagged and sold via local garden centres and is called - wait for it - Ace of Herts...
makes a good soil conditioner and is very black - a bit like the old sedge peat you used to get, about £5 for a 80litre bag...

[missycat]

I bought some YHA (or something like that ) from a local garden centre, it said on the bag that it was from recycled household waste in Yorkshire so may be the same stuff. I used it in tyres to grow my First Early potatoes and I had no problem with weeds and a respectable crop.
When the potatoes were finished I tipped all the compost onto a tarpaulin and am gradually using it around my plot but the original pile which is open to the elements still has no weed growth...
I am happy with the quality and the price, it looked slightly less coarse than B&Q general purpose compost and was cheaper.
 I think that when composted properly local authoritycompost is no different to any other commercially produced compost...perhaps the commercial companies buy in waste from local authorities anyway.