Watch how food scraps, newspaper and soil break down to make lovely compost in this easy to make compost in a bottle.

Resources

•  An empty 1.5 or 2 litre fizzy drink bottle with label removed 
•  Sharp scissors/craft knife
•  Garden soil
•  Green waste – flowers, leaves, kitchen scraps
•  Shredded newspaper
•  Handful of blood and bone (or other garden fertiliser)
•  Water spray
•  Packing tape
•  Small square of breathable cloth (a chux cloth works well)
•  String/rubber band

Instructions

1. Remove the top third of the bottle using sharp scissors or a craft knife
2. Add a small amount of garden soil to the base of the bottle
3. Build layers - Alternate layers of soil, green waste, shredded newspaper, small amount of blood and bone, finishing with a top layer of soil. Spray each layer with some water (especially the newspaper layer)
4. Tape the top third of the bottle back onto the filled base
5. Remove the screw lid of the bottle. Cover the top with the fabric and secure with string or a rubber band
6. Place in a sunny spot and watch the contents break down over 6-8 weeks
7. Shake about once a week to let air through the composting materials 
8. Once the contents have broken down into loose crumbly compost add to the garden

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