
You can compost your garden and kitchen waste at home quite easily.
More than a quarter of your organic rubbish, including vegetable peelings, teabags and eggshells, can be composted. The result is a good soil conditioner for your garden.
If you would like to start composting at home, High Peak Borough Council, in partnership with WRAP (Waste Resources Action Programme), offer the following reduced price composting bins:
All can be delivered free to your home, you can also buy a kitchen caddy for just £4 when you purchase one of the above bins. For more information on all aspects of this scheme and composting in general, download this leaflet (2.9MB)
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A wormery is an easy, efficient system of converting ordinary kitchen food waste into liquid feed and rich organic compost through the natural action of worms. Virtually any organic kitchen waste can go in, including peelings, cooked and uncooked scraps, teabags, eggshells, kitchen towel and newspaper. For further information and wormery supplier contact details,
These are unique food waste digesting systems, and can dispose of your cooked and uncooked food, meat, fish, bones, dairy products, vegetables, fruit and pet waste (including dog faeces). The design ensures no vermin are attracted, and its easy to set up and maintain, with a 10 year guarantee. For more information, visit the website at www.greencone.com (external website**).
These are an efficient, natural and hygienic way to dispose of dog waste. They consist of a two part "digestion bucket" that you sink into the ground. They can be purchased from most pet shops.
Water butts are good for the environment, cut down on your water bills, and save water for your garden.
Severn Trent Water offers water butts for £39.95. This price includes:
Real nappies have many benefits for those who use them:
Glossopdale Furniture Project collects furniture form households free of charge. It will be restored if necessary, and sold on to the public and those in social need. Tel 01457 857505 or visit the shop in Pikes Lane, Glossop, for more information.
There are a number of charity shops across the High Peak that accept unwanted clothes and textiles. For more information contact Customer Services on 0845 129 77 77 or 01298 28400.
This is a very active grassroots network of people (external website**) who have things to get rid of, and people who can use them. Freecycle tries to keep usable items out of landfills, to reduce consumerism, with fewer goods manufactured, and lessen the impact on the earth. Everything posted must be free, legal and appropriate for all ages – whether it's a chair, fax machine, piano or an old door – simply email your local group.
This website also asks its users to give away their unwanted items for free to people who would find them very useful, rather than add to fast diminishing and costly landfill sites. There are no membership requirements or clubs to join, so it takes only a few minutes to place a free advertisement or request an item for free.

Some mobile phones are toxic. They contain cadmium and other dangerous and toxic substances. Once dumped in landfill sites, the phone casing can corrode and the cadmium could leak and enter the soil, poisoning the land.
Please don't put your old mobile in the bin. Unwanted phones and accessories, and printer inkjet and toner cartridges can be taken to the Energy Advice Centre at St Annes Square, Buxton (next to the Town Hall - market place side). The Centre opens from 9am-5pm Monday to Friday. You can also leave them on reception at Municipal Buildings in Glossop.
The Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre also provide a recycling service for unwanted mobile phones chargers, phone batteries and used printer inkjet and toner cartridges.
The websites listed below provide a wealth of information:
**Please note: High Peak Borough Council is not responsible for the content of any external websites.