Will it be labour intensive?

An established compost heap or wormery will take care of itself. Gathering garden leaves and clippings, and carrying household waste to the heap will require a little effort, but by and large composting is not hard work. You do need some patience at first as heaps take 6 – 9 months to get established. But it's worth the wait - the average kitchen annually produces 200 kg of organic waste, a lot of potential compost for your garden!

Ready-made systems like Can-O-Worms from Wiggly Wigglers make life even easier – simply remove the bottom tray when it's full of wormcasts, harvest the vermicompost and return the empty tray to the top of the stack.

Will it smell?

A healthy compost heap won't smell, especially if you include worms in your composting system. Stopping your compost from getting too wet will help minimise smells, and mineral powders can be added if the problem persists.

Where can I buy composting equipment and worms?

All you really need for a compost heap is a bin and plenty of organic waste. Bins are available at garden centres and hardware shops. When choosing a bin, look out for:

• Size – composting is more efficient if your bin is full so don't buy an oversized bin.
• Colour – the darker the better, to absorb heat.
• Shape – a cone shape is best for drainage and air-flow.
• Ventilation – it's a myth that air holes are necessary for composting. With the right mix of waste, your heap will be sufficiently aerated. Holes in the bin slow down the process by releasing thermal energy.

Log on to www.recyclenow.com to see whether a low cost compost bin offer is operating in your area.

To build a wormery, you will need:

• 1-2 kg of worms
• coir bedding
• moisture matting
• lime mix

All the above are available from Wiggly Wigglers, Worms Direct UK, VermiSell and Bubble House Worms, as well as many garden centres.

Where can I get advice?

WRAP has a team of Home Composting Advisors, each dedicated to a specific UK region. You can contact them on 0845 600 0323.

More helpful information is available from:

• The Composting Association www.compost.org.uk
• Recycle Now www.recyclenow.com