Comparing and learning from other communities
A range of case studies, including projects from across Scotland, the rest of the UK and overseas are shown below. These case studies demonstrate successful approaches from operational and technical perspectives and are provided to compare and learn from. Website details for the organisations involved are shown in the download documents if you would like more information.
This also includes information on exciting Highland projects involving community food growing, with composting being an important part of a number of these.
A number of food growing initiatives in the Highlands were awarded Community Climate Asset Fund (CCAF) grants in 2021 which may have options for linking with community composting initiatives. A list of these can be downloaded below.
Highland Food Growing Initiatives
Other Highland projects incorporating elements of composting are described briefly below.
Thurso Grows
Thurso Grows is run by Thurso Community Development Trust and includes running a community garden space of 1,000m2 and associated workshops on composting, gardening and food waste minimisation. Thurso Grows also aim to promote local produce and encourage people to grow at home while taking a community aspect to sharing food. They regularly sell produce at the Town Market and welcome others to the Garden. The organisations also work with other groups including North Highland College and NHS to provide green health activities in the garden space.
Inverness High School Farm
Developing practical gardening and maintenance skills with the pupils. The pupils learn some essential gardening skills including preparing the ground, planting crops, making compost, repairing various garden structures, pruning trees and path maintenance among other things.
Raasay Walled Garden
A community food waste compost scheme is operated with the local primary school. The garden is open to the public and provides a beautiful amenity space for locals and visitors. It has created a part time job and lots of volunteering opportunities. Future plans include the restoration of the derelict greenhouses, looking at ways that the island can become more self sufficient for food and reducing food waste further.
More information on the above projects is available to download from the Community Food Growing Strategy Guidance Document below.
Bute Produce is run by the charity Fyne Futures (a subsidiary of the housing association, Fyne Homes), on a leased 6-acre site. In late 2020 ownership was transferred to Fyne Futures. The objective is to grow local seasonal produce that is affordable to the local community and to respond to an emerging trend for food with a low carbon footprint. The community composting work is part of the supply chain of Bute Produce. This is an illustration of a community composting project that sits within a much larger endeavour, with community food growing, skills development, job provision, and low carbon supply chain development. Operates under a Paragraph 12 exemption (no cost). Click for a one-page pdf giving more details on this project.
Tiphereth Compost & Firewood is a social enterprise arm of the charity which manage the community composting scheme. They have a contract with Edinburgh Council to collect garden waste from 500 households in the local area and receive a grant from them for doing this.
Working with the council, the partnership supports 40 community compost schemes with over 1,300 households (an average of just over 30 households per project) taking part. The scheme was established to provide a food waste composting solution for residents without gardens. Compost produced is being used in parks, community gardens and food growing projects in local schools. Click for a one-page pdf giving more details on this project.
This is a charity with two paid staff members co-ordinating 16 sites, with an average of 40 to 50 householders per site signed up to the project. The sites are described as being cheap to set up, with each managing around 3 tonnes of compost at any one time. The resulting compost can be used free of charge by participating households and if there is any excess it is advertised to local allotments. Click for a one-page pdf giving more details on this project.
Using a Ridan composter, with 36 households as members of the compost club. Food waste is brought to the site and mixed with wood chip for composting in the unit which does not use any electricity. The land for the allotment and composting is provided by the council, with 12 Ridan Raiders, who have received training, allowed to use the unit. They carry out daily checks of the feedstock mixture, moisture level and temperature. Click for a one-page pdf giving more details on this project.
Using a Ridan composter, in an eco-cohousing community with 41 homes, 65 adults and 15 children. Private homes with shared facilities. The community is a limited company. There is a rota for seven community members to collect food waste caddies and to feed the composter, make checks and turn it. There are five large caddies used for the food waste deposited, with two emptied approximately twice a week to trickle feed the composter. Community growing space is given priority for the compost produced. Additional material is made openly available to the community after this.
Members bring their garden waste and veggie/fruit peelings to the composting site. Volunteers manage it, with help from paid local labour. Once composted, the product is offered back to members and allotment holders, for use in their gardens and allotments. It serves a population of 1,000 people, with 160 households taking part – reported to be very popular and sociable. 3 volunteers started the scheme, 2 remain and new directors are taken on as needed.
Click for a one-page pdf giving more details on this project.
A Rocket composter is used for all of the food waste generated by the hotel. This cost £25,000 to install and now results in the hotel not needing to purchase as much compost for use on the grounds. It is managed and maintained by the estate team working with the head chef and there is spare capacity for the community to get involved in the future. Click for a one-page pdf giving more details on this project.
The project kicked off in January 2022 and is a low-cost scheme driven by the local authority and supported by a community group. It will be open to a maximum of circa 80 householders and therefore of a scale that may be achievable within the Highlands. Participating householders (members) are able to drop-off their vegetable peelings and garden waste into the locked drop-off containers.
A number of food growing initiatives in the Highlands were awarded Community Climate Asset Fund (CCAF) grants in 2021 which may have options for linking with community composting initiatives. A list of these can be downloaded below.
Other Highland projects incorporating elements of composting are described briefly below.
Thurso Grows
Thurso Grows is run by Thurso Community Development Trust and includes running a community garden space of 1,000m2 and associated workshops on composting, gardening and food waste minimisation. Thurso Grows also aim to promote local produce and encourage people to grow at home while taking a community aspect to sharing food. They regularly sell produce at the Town Market and welcome others to the Garden. The organisations also work with other groups including North Highland College and NHS to provide green health activities in the garden space.
Inverness High School Farm
Developing practical gardening and maintenance skills with the pupils. The pupils learn some essential gardening skills including preparing the ground, planting crops, making compost, repairing various garden structures, pruning trees and path maintenance among other things.
Raasay Walled Garden
A community food waste compost scheme is operated with the local primary school. The garden is open to the public and provides a beautiful amenity space for locals and visitors. It has created a part time job and lots of volunteering opportunities. Future plans include the restoration of the derelict greenhouses, looking at ways that the island can become more self sufficient for food and reducing food waste further.
More information on the above projects is available to downloadable in the Community Food Growing Strategy Guidance Document.
Bute Produce is run by the charity Fyne Futures (a subsidiary of the housing association, Fyne Homes), on a leased 6-acre site. In late 2020 ownership was transferred to Fyne Futures. The objective is to grow local seasonal produce that is affordable to the local community and to respond to an emerging trend for food with a low carbon footprint. The community composting work is part of the supply chain of Bute Produce. This is an illustration of a community composting project that sits within a much larger endeavour, with community food growing, skills development, job provision, and low carbon supply chain development. Operates under a Paragraph 12 exemption (no cost). Click for a one-page pdf giving more details on this project.
Tiphereth Compost & Firewood is a social enterprise arm of the charity which manage the community composting scheme. They have a contract with Edinburgh Council to collect garden waste from 500 households in the local area and receive a grant from them for doing this.
\Working with the council, the partnership supports 40 community compost schemes with over 1,300 households (an average of just over 30 households per project) taking part. The scheme was established to provide a food waste composting solution for residents without gardens. Compost produced is being used in parks, community gardens and food growing projects in local schools. Click for a one-page pdf giving more details on this project.
This is a charity with two paid staff members co-ordinating 16 sites, with an average of 40 to 50 householders per site signed up to the project. The sites are described as being cheap to set up, with each managing around 3 tonnes of compost at any one time. The resulting compost can be used free of charge by participating households and if there is any excess it is advertised to local allotments. Click for a one-page pdf giving more details on this project.
Using a Ridan composter, with 36 households as members of the compost club. Food waste is brought to the site and mixed with wood chip for composting in the unit which does not use any electricity. The land for the allotment and composting is provided by the council, with 12 Ridan Raiders, who have received training, allowed to use the unit. They carry out daily checks of the feedstock mixture, moisture level and temperature. Click for a one-page pdf giving more details on this project.
Members bring their garden waste and veggie/fruit peelings to the composting site. Volunteers manage it, with help from paid local labour. Once composted, the product is offered back to members and allotment holders, for use in their gardens and allotments. It serves a population of 1,000 people, with 160 households taking part – reported to be very popular and sociable. 3 volunteers started the scheme, 2 remain and new directors are taken on as needed.
Click for a one-page pdf giving more details on this project.
A Rocket composter is used for all of the food waste generated by the hotel. This cost £25,000 to install and now results in the hotel not needing to purchase as much compost for use on the grounds. It is managed and maintained by the estate team working with the head chef and there is spare capacity for the community to get involved in the future. Click for a one-page pdf giving more details on this project.
The project kicked off in January 2022 and is a low-cost scheme driven by the local authority and supported by a community group. It will be open to a maximum of circa 80 householders and therefore of a scale that may be achievable within the Highlands. Participating householders (members) are able to drop-off their vegetable peelings and garden waste into the locked drop-off containers.
The document for download below, "Growing Local Fertility - A Guide to Community Composting" provides examples of many different types of community composting projects in the USA which could be a source of inspiration and learning.