Compost Awareness Week celebrated in Suffolk!

Free compost, expert advice and bargain compost bins to help Suffolk residents.
03 May 2024

Free compost, expert advice and bargain compost bins to help Suffolk residents.

As part of International Compost Awareness Week (from Saturday 4 May), Suffolk Waste Partnership is supporting several initiatives aiming to help residents get composting.

Not only will there be free compost and details of low-cost compost bins, but there will also be advice on how to make your own.


Pre-bagged Compost Giveaway Events

There are also two 'Shovel it Yourself' compost giveaway events taking place - visitors will need to bring their own shovel and bags/containers to collect the compost (while stocks last) at these events.

'Shovel it Yourself' Loose Compost Giveaway Events

Ipswich residents, schools and community groups have the chance to win compost for themselves or for their project with their new compost competition 'Make it Grow with DiGBY!'

Help us make Ipswich greener, one garden at a time. By making our green spaces at home a haven for plants and wildlife alike, we can make both our own spaces and the borough of Ipswich a more ecologically friendly place.  
Submit your creative, green garden idea to our new compost competition for the chance of winning some free compost. 

There are 2 categories - for ‘Individuals’ or ‘Teams’ - entrants are asked to submit creative, green garden design ideas. Go to Make it Grow with DiGBY - Love Your Street (ipswichloveyourstreet.co.uk) to find out more an enter.


For those interested in making their own compost, the Suffolk Waste Partnership is continuing its successful compost bin promotion, which helps residents buy compost bins and other food digesters at discounted prices to suit most resident’s needs and budget. Prices start from only £19.98 for compost bins and £26.50 for food digester systems.

On average, more than a third of the contents of Suffolk’s rubbish bins could easily be composted at home. Each household in Suffolk could compost around 150kg of organic material a year, turning this waste into free soil improver for their garden.

Craig Renton, Suffolk County Council Waste Advisor, said:

"Home composting is the cheapest and most environmentally friendly way to deal with compostable material, as it requires no transport or processing and is an environmentally friendly alternative to peat-based compost.

Our Compost Awareness Week events and activities provide the opportunity for people to discover the many benefits of compost, whether it is made at home or through the councils’ green waste recycling services.”

To find all the offers on compost bins and more you can:

  • Visit GetComposting and enter your postcode to view special offers
  • Call 0800 316 4454 and quote SUF 24L

Suffolk Master Composter Volunteers will be attending several events during the week to provide free composting information, advice and guidance to those wanting to start home composting for the first time or wanting to improve their current composting efforts:

Master Composter volunteers in front of compost display

Home Composting Advice Events