The right location, location, location for all of your kitchen waste

TV property guru Kirstie Allsopp is urging Cumbrians to go green and cut back on rubbish by composting.

The "Turn spuds into buds" campaign seeks to encourage everybody in Cumbria to take advantage of the Resource Cumbria discounted compost bin scheme which offers a range of compost bins to Cumbrians at massively discounted prices.

To date the scheme has sold 18,000 discounted compost bins to the people of Cumbria - diverting significant biodegradable waste from landfill.

Open to everyone in Cumbria, the discounted compost bins start from as little as £8 for a 220 litre bin and there are a range of bins available suiting the beginner to the seasoned veteran gardener.

Composting converts organic rubbish into an earth like mass by using bacteria and micro-organisms.

Composting at home is a natural way of recycling garden and kitchen waste, and the resulting compost is an excellent soil conditioner for the garden, giving you an environmentally friendly alternative to peat.

You don`t need to be a keen gardener or have a big garden to make compost at home - it can be made from your simple kitchen fruit and veg leftovers and household rubbish like paper and card.

Location Location Location presenter Kirstie said: "Home composting is not only good for the planet, it`s also good for your pocket.

"By composting everyday waste such as vegetable peelings, tea bags, egg shells and cardboard you can a make nutrient-rich soil enhancer to grow your own veg and flowers in.

"It`s fun to get the whole family involved too so children can learn about the natural cycle of putting goodness into the earth so that good things can come out."

Cumbria currently recycles almost 40% of its household waste. The county is reducing its dependence on landfill still further, and improving recycling rates as part of a drive to make Cumbria England`s greenest county.

Louise Woods, Waste Prevention Officer for Cumbria County Council, said: "Composting is a natural way of recycling and home composting is one of the most productive actions that can be taken to help the planet.

"Home composting can cut household waste by up to a third, and because most of that is the smelly third, it will also stop your bin from producing that leftover food smell.

"And on top of all that it can help your garden because the compost improves plant health and growth. This means that yields of fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs would be increased. It also increases the nutritional quality of home-grown foods."

Over a third of the average Cumbrian householder`s waste can be recycled into compost. Grass clippings, hedge prunings, leaves and other leafy garden waste can be added to the compost heap with uncooked kitchen leftovers, such as tea bags, fruit and veg peelings and egg shells, along with cardboard and paper. Once rotted down over a period of about 6 months, the organic compost can be used to enrich and mulch the garden, keeping moisture in the soil during hot summer months.

A series of radio, bus and poster adverts across Cumbria will tell people how to compost and turn `spuds to buds` and `cauli`s to flowers`.

You can order your discounted bin online or by calling 0845 077 0757.