Did you know that approximately 50% of Australia’s household rubbish is made up of food and garden waste? Most of this organic waste can be recycled by composting it. 

Composting is a natural process that breaks down your kitchen and garden waste into a valuable and nutrient rich soil for your garden. It is inexpensive and easy to get started. Compost improves your soil’s condition and is great for the environment!

What do you need to get started?

• Tools: a compost bin, compost turner and garden fork. Find which composting system works best for you. Try one of these DIY compost bins
• 'Green’ organic ingredients: kitchen fruit and vegetable scraps, egg shells, coffee grinds
• ‘Brown’ organic ingredients: dried leaves, twigs, newspaper

How to make a great compost

Sunshine Coast Library members have borrowed compost-based titles 8,131 times! Borrow these titles for tips and tricks to get started on your composting journey. 

eBooks 

Libraries love these eBooks: 

• The Rodale Book of Composting, Newly Revised and Updated: Simple Methods to Improve Your Soil, recycle Waster, Grow Healthier Plants, and Create an Earth-Friendly Garden by Grace Gershuny
• Cooking with Scraps : Turn Your Peels, Cores, Rinds, and Stems into Delicious Meals by Lindsay-Jean Hard
• Gardening for Dummies Three eBook Bundle: Growing Your Own Fruit and Veggies, Composting, and Storing and Preserving Garden Produce for Dummies by Geoff Stebbings 

To get started download the ePlatform by Wheelers, RBDigital and Libby apps. Select Sunshine Coast Libraries and enter your member number and password. 

eMagazines 

Browse these sustainable gardening eMagazines: 

• ABC Organic Gardener
• Mother Earth News
• Sustainable and Water Wise Gardens
• Better Homes and Gardens Australia
• Pip Permaculture 
• Earth Garden
• Gardening Australia

To get started reading free eMagazines, download the Libby app, select Sunshine Coast Libraries and enter your member number and password.  

Podcasts

Listen on the go with these podcasts: 

• Garden Clinic 
• Sustainable World Radio 
• Pip Permaculture
• All the Dirt

On the web 

• Visit Sunshine Coast Council’s webpage on composting and worm farms
• Get some great tips and tricks with this how to make a start at composting article
• Better Homes and Gardens has a step-by-step guide to making compost that will enrich your garden
• Get composting with Gardening Australia

 

Maintaining a compost

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