The Enviro NZ guide to composting

Composting is a fantastic and easy way of contributing to the circular economy, allowing you to transform your unwanted garden materials into nutrient-rich compost.

Find out why keeping your garden waste out of landfill is important and how you can contribute with our convenient guide to composting.

What is composting?

Composting takes decomposed organic matter, such as garden waste and food scraps, and transforms it into nourishing compost that enriches soil and promotes new growth.

As with all things organic, decomposition happens naturally. Composting helps speed up this process by creating an ideal environment for aerobic bacteria, fungi, and microorganisms to thrive, fast-tracking the decomposition process and improving soil quality.

What are the benefits of composting?

The environmental benefits of composting are numerous. When left to decompose in landfills, organic materials produce harmful greenhouse gases, such as methane. By composting your garden waste, you're reducing waste and creating a helpful garden product that actively helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The resulting compost also provides numerous advantages for New Zealand gardens. Compost improves soil health by protecting plants from disease and nutrient deficiencies, increases water infiltration, prevents erosion and helps put more organic matter back into the soil, providing gardeners with a more environmentally friendly and sustainable way of maintaining soil and plant health.

How does the composting process work?

While we can’t speak for other companies, Enviro NZ processes the green waste we receive at a state-of-the-art composting facility in Hampton Downs. Our composting system uses a technology called GORE – a bunker system that creates a moist, oxygen-rich environment for microbes to convert waste to compost on a large scale. The GORE cover speeds up the composting process while controlling the emission of odours and greenhouse gases.

After a few weeks of shredding, composting and fermentation, your green waste is transformed into nourishing, nutrient-rich compost that goes on to be used in agriculture and commercial gardens and parks.

How can I get started?

Transforming your garden waste into compost is a great way to recycle and minimise waste. However, setting up a home composting bin, creating a worm farm, or joining a community garden can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.

An easy, hassle-free option is Enviro NZ's Garden Wheelie Service. Our on-demand, app-based collection service allows you to recycle your garden material at your own pace, as and when you need to.