Council partners with firm to offer locally produced compost

Garden waste collected from Bath and North East Somerset homes is being turned into nutrient-rich compost that’s on sale in the Reuse Shop at Keynsham Reuse and Recycling Centre.

The council collects garden waste as part of its fortnightly green bin collection service and at its three recycling centres. This garden waste is taken to two local farms, one in Yate and the other near Wells, where it is turned into certified compost.

Councillor Tim Ball, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “We are encouraging residents to compost at home but where they aren’t able to, they can take their garden waste to the nearest recycling centre or opt into our doorstep collections. Partnering with our composting contractor Pennys is a great example of a closed loop recycling service with collected garden waste being composted under controlled conditions to produce a good quality compost that residents can buy locally.”

All Pennys compost meets strict rules in order to gain the BSI PAS 100 standard, the leading industry accreditation for compost quality.

Image: Bath & North East Somerset Council

George Worle, Waste & Recycling Manager, Pennys Group, said: “We are delighted to be working in association with Bath & North East Somerset Council and are proud to see our bags on the shop floor at the Reuse Shop in Keynsham. The new initiative affirms what is already a strong and valued working relationship that Pennys holds with the council, but also poses as a great opportunity to raise awareness of what happens to garden waste once it is collected.”

To ensure the compost remains high quality, please ensure that any garden waste that is put out for collection in the council’s green bins or dropped in the skips at the recycling centres does not contain any plastic bags, pots or plastic plant labels.

A 40-litre bag of multi-purpose organic compost sells for £4 in the Reuse Shop which is located inside the Keynsham Reuse and Recycling Centre. The shop is open Tuesday to Friday 9am to 3.30pm and Saturday 9.30am to 3pm.

If you’re not a resident of Bath & North East Somerset, you won’t be able to drive on to the site, but you’re welcome to park nearby and use the footpaths to access the Reuse Shop. A map and further information about the shop can be found on the council website.