This summer hundreds of green-thumbed Coromandel locals will be rolling up their sleeves, heading out into their backyards and getting stuck into the gardening.

But what to do with all of that green waste? Thames-Coromandel District Council has the answer – drop it off for free to the biosolids composter at Moewai Road in Whitianga.

The biosolids composter is hungry for green waste like freshly dug soil-free weeds, hedge clippings, small leafy branches and fresh lawn clippings, from home gardens and operators of commercial landscape/lawn mowing rounds.

The composter uses a 50-50 mix of biosolids – the soil-free green waste plus ‘solids' screened out of the wastewater treatment process which is then dried – to produce top quality grade Aa compost, explains TCDC Utilities Field Representative Dennis Finnigan.

'We're hoping that with visitors coming down and bach owners getting ready for Christmas that people will want to have a go in the garden, and we'd love to divert as much of the clippings and weeds as possible to feed our composter.

'The green waste must not include flax or any hard items like lumps of concrete or large branches because the mulcher is a valuable machine and it will be damaged by these items.”

The biosolids composter has already proven to save ratepayers money on the cost of transporting biosolids to landfill. It also saves you money on green waste fees, which are currently $85 per tonne to dump at the Refuse Transfer Station.

Dennis says there's many benefits to being able to reuse the highly treated solids from the district's wastewater plants, which include producing Grade Aa compost.

‘This is the safest and highest quality compost possible using biosolids according to the New Zealand Biosolids Guidelines.”

The grade Aa compost produced by the composter has already been used on TCDC parks and reserves, and council hopes it may be available for locals seeking large amounts sometime in the new year.

'But without equal measures of quality green waste, the composter cannot keep up with the biosolids produced at this time of year and a valuable resource is being wasted.

'So what more gardening motivation do you need?”

And don't forget – plastic, cardboard and other household rubbish should go into your recycling bin or TCDC's official blue rubbish bags.

Useable green waste can be dropped off to the site adjacent to the composter at 48 Moewai Rd in Whitianga on Wednesdays, from 10am-12pm, plus Saturdays and Sundays between 10am-3pm.

GOOD GREEN WASTE:

• Freshly dug, soil-free weeds
• Hedge clippings and leafy small branches
• Fresh lawn clippings

GARDEN WASTE THAT WON'T BE ACCEPTED:

• Green waste with soil in it
• Branches more than 100mm in diameter
• Branches with no leaves attached
• Flaxes
• Root balls
• Browned, old lawn clippings or green waste that's gone soft or slimy
• Lumps of concrete, large bits of wood, and any rubbish

Hedge clippings and leafy small branches that are no larger than 100mm in diameter are perfect for the biosolid composter in Whitianga. Photo: TCDC