Free compost giveaways return this month

The free compost giveaways run by East Riding of Yorkshire Council are returning this month.

Eight giveaway events will be held across the area between Saturday 18 September and Friday 1 October, where around 5,000 bags of compost will be handed out for free to local residents.

Residents are invited to drive along to their nearest event, where two 15kg bags of compost will be placed into each car boot.

All events will be Covid-safe and residents are asked to stay in their vehicles.

As always, the compost given away will be made up directly from the garden and food waste which East Riding residents recycle in their brown bins each year.

Brown bins can take grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, small branches, leaves, flowers and weeds, all cooked and uncooked food, peelings, plate scrapings, bones, bread, meat, egg shells and small amounts of soups, sauces and gravies – all of it gets recycled into compost.

This month’s giveaway events will be the first since 2019.

Cllr Chris Matthews, the council’s portfolio holder for environment and climate change, said: “I’m really pleased we can now restart our compost giveaway events after a break of almost two years because of the pandemic.

“These giveaways are our way of thanking the residents of the East Riding for their continued support of our recycling schemes.”

Free compost will be given away at the following events:

• Saturday 18 September, 10am start – Carnaby, council depot, Carnaby Industrial Estate, Lancaster Road YO15 3QY
• Monday 20 September, 4pm start – Preston, South Holderness School (Technical College), HU12 8UZ
• Wednesday 22 September, 4pm start – Goole, West Park, DN14 6UU
• Thursday 23 September, 4pm start – Withernsea, Pavilion Car Park next to East Riding Leisure Withernsea, Station Road, HU19 2QA
• Friday 24 September, 4pm start – Hornsea, Broadway Car Park, HU18 1PZ
• Saturday 25 September, 10am start – Beverley, Beverley council depot, Annie Reed Road, off Grovehill Road and Beck View Road, HU17 0LF
• Tuesday 28 September, 5pm start – Pocklington, Wolds Gliding Club, Hodsow Lane, YO42 1NP
• Thursday 30 September, 4pm – Driffield, Driffield Showground, Kelleythorpe, YO25 9DN.

* Residents are asked not to queue at the venues beforehand or they may be turned away for safety reasons.

* The compost is best used as a soil improver.