Closing the composting loop

In Cumbria, according to the latest figures, 41 % of our household waste is now recycled. Whether it’s cans, plastic, glass or newspapers – nearly every home in Cumbria now has access to some form of recycling collection or household waste recycling centre. But how many of us actually know where our recycling ends up? Or what it’s finally used for? YourCumbria was curious, so we decided to follow some. 

• We picked a street in South Lakeland, where green waste wheelie bins are collected every two weeks, and decided to find out what possible use can be found for hedge cuttings, tree prunings and grass clippings. Green waste collection schemes operate throughout Cumbria diverting around 40,000 tonnes of green waste from going into landfill.

• After filling its hold with green waste, the recycling lorry heads to Hespin Wood in Carlisle (or Sinkfall Recycling near Barrow). Here, green waste collected at the kerbside is added to green waste from the larger household waste recycling centres – generally the greenery that the public can’t fit into their wheelie bin, such as hedge clippings, larger plants and tree branches.

• The green waste is placed in huge mounds, called windrows, and gradually begins to decompose. The windrows are turned periodically to aid the process which turns the grass clippings and hedge cuttings into a nutrient-rich compost. The quality of the compost produced is so good that it has received the British Standards Institution’s PAS100 quality standard and is certificated by the Composting Association. In Cumbria, around 40,000 tonnes of green waste is recycled into compost each year.

• The end of the recycling chain – Broughton Craggs, a former landfill site near Cockermouth. Here, the compost is mixed with natural subsoil and spread in a layer over the landfill site to a depth of 70 cm therefore creating new topsoil. Into this layer native trees and wildflowers are planted, bringing what was once contaminated land back into use and creating a habitat for lots of species of local wildlife, including the native British red squirrel.

The council could not have closed the composting loop in Cumbria without working in partnership with householders! ‘Thank you’ to all householders for recycling!