Cambridgeshire waste chiefs dug deep to shovel over four tonnes of soil conditioner to giveaway free to hundreds of keen gardeners in Ely during Compost Awareness Week. To celebrate the special week, which ran between May 6 to 12, a roadshow was held in

Cambridgeshire waste chiefs dug deep to shovel over four tonnes of soil conditioner to giveaway free to hundreds of keen gardeners in Ely during Compost Awareness Week.

To celebrate the special week, which ran between May 6 to 12, a roadshow was held in Ely last Wednesday as part of a series touring the county. Keen gardeners and enthusiastic composters learnt more about the benefits of home composting and the use of peat-free soil improver.

Residents also got the chance to take home bags of soil conditioner, courtesy of Waterbeach based Donarbon Ltd, and made from the garden and food waste collected by the local councils.

Thousands of tonnes of garden waste are produced in the county every year and if sent to landfill, will decompose and create methane, a greenhouse gas linked to global warming.

Almost 65,000 tonnes of garden and food waste were turned into compost last year in Cambridgeshire - that is almost a quarter of the total waste produced in the county.

Cambridgeshire County Council is committed to encouraging people to reduce, re-use and recycle their rubbish. Composting is an important way of helping to reduce the tonnes of rubbish that ends up rotting in landfill.

Victor Perez, Waste Campaigns Officer for Cambridgeshire County Council, said: "We had an excellent response from East Cambridgeshire residents who took advantage of the tonnes of free soil improver. We shovelled more than 20 tonnes of soil improver into bags and bins for residents during the week and gave away 4 tonnes in Ely alone. We would also like to thank all those who went online to order a cut-price bin to make their own compost at home. Dealing with garden waste as well as fruit and vegetable peelings at home is a great way to reduce our carbon footprint, as we cut down the miles our waste travels, preventing the associated air emissions.

"It is still time to order a subsidised compost bin from as little as £8, a bargain that will help protect our environment!"

To order a compost bin, visit www.recyclenow.com/compost or phone 0845 077 0757.

For more information about composting, recycling and waste prevention, visit www.recap.co.uk or phone 0845 045 5207.