Would you like to separate your fruit, vegetable, garden and food waste (VGF) without having to deal with unpleasant odours? With a few simple tips, you can keep your GFT container clean and avoid nuisance.
Especially in the hot summer months, the kitchen and garden waste container can start to smell and attract pests such as fruit flies and maggots. This cannot be completely prevented - on a hot day, fly eggs hatch as maggots within hours. Fortunately, you can minimise the nuisance with a few smart tips:
Tip 1: Place a newspaper or straw on the floor
Put a page of old newspaper or some straw on the bottom. This will prevent food particles from sticking. The bin stays cleaner and is easier to clean. The paper or straw absorbs moisture and helps prevent unpleasant odours.
Tip 2: Put the container in the shade
Put your GFT container in the coolest possible place, preferably in the shade. Especially during hot weather. In full sunlight, waste will brew faster. Heat speeds up composting and attracts flies and maggots. By keeping the bin as cool as possible, you reduce the risk of odours and pests.
Tip 3: Keep waste as dry as possible
Moisture is a big culprit when it comes to smells and maggots. Therefore, do not throw wet food scraps or garden waste in the GFT container. Let damp leftovers drain first and freshly cut grass dry for a day before putting it in the container. It also helps to dispose of GFT waste in layers: after a layer of food waste, put a layer of dry material, such as dried grass or dry leaves on top. This keeps the contents drier and gives maggots less chance. Occasionally you can add a handful of sawdust to absorb moisture and reduce foul odours.
Tip 4: Pack food waste properly
Flies love meat, fish and fruit scraps. By packing perishable food scraps properly, you make the container less attractive to pests. Wrap bones, meat and fish waste in a sheet of newspaper before throwing it away. You can also collect your kitchen waste in special compostable VGF waste bags- just make sure you only use the VGF bags with the germplasm logo or OK compost logo. Only these bags are allowed in VGF waste.
Tip 5: Freeze perishable leftovers until collection day
You can also keep meat and fish waste in the freezer until the day of collection. Throw it frozen in the container just before you take it to the street. That way it won't rot and attract pests.
Tip 6: Vent or seal? Choose what fits
A little ventilation helps against smells. Put the lid ajar with a twig, for example. This allows warm air to escape. Do you mainly suffer from flies or maggots? Then it is better to keep the lid tightly closed. There are also special lids with a filter that stop smells but still ventilate.
Tip 7: Clean the container regularly
Even with all these precautions, it is wise to clean your GFT container regularly, especially in the warmer months. Give your GFT container a refreshing rinse every now and then. Use plain water and possibly a little green soap to rinse away all leftovers. Do not use harsh cleaning agents, such as chlorine or insecticides. These are harmful to the environment and interfere with the composting process.
Tip 8: Use natural remedies against pests
Place a few branches of the ivy plant (Hedera) or some fresh lavender in your GFT container. Both plants are toxic to maggots (fly larvae), so they will stay away from your container or die as soon as they come into contact with it. Lavender also helps reduce odours.
Tip 9: Empty before departure
Going on holiday? Then make sure you have your GFT container emptied before you leave. That way you won't come home to a nasty surprise. An empty container is the first step to coming home clean and fresh.
With these simple tips, you can keep your GFT container clean and fresh, without any unpleasant odours. Together, we will take a step towards a waste-free and clean environment.
For more tips, visit waardlanden.nl/tips