Dubliners to be asked to turn waste into compost

Dubliners could dramatically reduce the city's waste mountain if they made their own compost heap for garden and kitchen waste, according to a leaflet which is to be delivered to 172,000 households over the next two weeks.

The Art of Composting, published yesterday by Dublin Corporation's cleansing division, aims to encourage householders to create compost heaps and recycle at least 18,000 tonnes of organic waste to produce a useful garden fertiliser.

It gives instructions on how to build a compost heap, whether in the open air or in a purpose-designed container, to dispose of grass cuttings, prunings, leaves, flower and vegetable remains as well as kitchen wastes, such as table scraps and eggshells.

Mr Kevin O'Sullivan, a senior official in the cleansing division, said food and garden waste accounted for 42 per cent of Dublin's refuse, yet figures showed only 30 tonnes of organic waste was composted annually in Ireland. "This compares very unfavourably with many of our European neighbours such as the Netherlands and Denmark." "Indeed, just over 4 per cent of household waste in Ireland is recovered for re-use or recycling."

It was vital for the city's future that every household became actively involved in preventing and reducing waste, otherwise Dublin would face a "waste crisis". Waste is growing by 3 per cent per annum. "Dublin's waste mountain last year would have filled St Stephen's Green, reaching up to the tops of the buildings surrounding it," he said. "Clearly, these trends are unsustainable."