Diana
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Green ConesWe put a green cone in last weekend and I was just wondering how many people had one and how much they put in it?
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wildgarlic
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Haven't got one... but have heard ok things about them. Are they still available for a subsidised price from the council?
Stoney (if I recall correctly) had problems with rats gnawing through the cage.
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Diana
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Yes, I think the council has some again now (they were out of stock for a long time).
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Esther.R
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We've got one, haven't had any problems with it but have only had it in since spring. Hsaven't put a massive amount into it, mostly doggy poo and chicken poo (I've only got a small compost heap so don't put all the chicken poo on it at once).
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JamesB
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we got one and used for a few years. seems ok but takes a while to break down and small flies still manage to get in (the lid is weighed down by a stone and seems airtight!).
I dont think we got the drainage working very well, we have clay soil. I put stones in to help but i dont think its enough. Im considering connecting a pipe from it into out drainage syste.
James
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baldowrie
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I have just got one (in the pipe line) via friend as Falkirk council are selling them at the massive cost of £10 each!
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johnhcrf
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Green cones have the problem of rodent attraction. An indoor alternative is the Bokashi bin (plus bran). I have ordered one and in anticipation have removed all food waste from my inside bin. What a difference this makes to the rubbish. Mainly packaging hence (ZeroWastePackaging). East Renfrewshire has commenced Food waste collection for central composting and this is an excellent alternative.
I feel there is a momentum for change which is unstoppable.
hcrf
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baldowrie
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Rodents problem...when the game keep just chicks the grain for the pheasant straight on the ground uncovered and uncontained my few food scraps are not exactly on the rats menu
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JamesB
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curious why you think the green cone attracts rats. Its relatively sealed, we've also surrounded the underground mesh with galvanised wire in case they burrow in. Have you had problems with rats? How did they manage to get in? might help us to not have this problem in the future 
James
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johnhcrf
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About Green cone ratsThis is from green cone sites, problems with. My knowledge of this is zero but the indoor Bokashi bin seems a safer alternative, and I have ordered one. I mentioned the reports as a word to the wise not as a sales prompt.
hcrf
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Sassinak
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The rats love my compost bin  They have burrowed into it.
I hadn't realised how much of a rat problem I had until I finally admitted defeat and put poison down. I got one of those sealed units with 4 blocks of poison inside. 3 blocks had completely gone within a fortnight arghhhh
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pete_inthehills
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hmm...I was thinking of getting a green cone for the bothy. Currently we have a compost bin, but I think a green cone might be better.
I'll probably use both, the green cone for dog waste and cooked food and the compost bin for everything else. That way folk who come to the bothy can learn about both kinds disposal.
Pete
inthehills
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Meg in the Mountains
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We have a green cone and it's been sitting in the garden happily doing its thing for almost three years. No rat problem, but in the summer lots of flies live inside. Like JamesB we have a large stone weighing the lid down, so you would think nothing could get in. I think you're supposed to empty them out every two years which means ours in now overdue, but I can't face doing it and keep hoping DH will take the hint.
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mastercomposter
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Green ConesGreen cones are available from Aberdeenshire and City Councils for the discounted rate of £10. Tesco have started selling them at full price £70. Green Cone company decided on this, as it helped spread the word, but also, that it would encourage people to purchase from their local authorities.
I agree with the rat problem, the green cones do not attract vermin, as the food waste area is all underground. If there are rats in your area, you can always surround the basket part of cone in chicken wire.
Flies are often a problem - fruit flies - because if you dispose of fruit you will get fruit flies (my compost bin is full of them). With the green cone, you can actually hang some fly paper (if they bother you).
If ever anyone is looking to get one, you can email me with your address, and I can send a form out.
Master Composter (Chris)
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Ina
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A friend asked me - why should you bother with a green cone? Wouldn't burying the stuff have the same effect? (OK, she does have a lot of space around the house...)
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Diana
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I think the idea of the Green Cone is that it heats up and thus decomposes matter faster
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mastercomposter
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Green Cones v burying in groundIf you were to burying your food waste directly into the ground, this would have a higher chance of attracting vermin.
The green cone is a sealed unit, the basket buried under the ground, and thus there should less opportunity for odours to attract vermin - plus if they were to find it, they would have to bite through the plastic.
Problems with vermin generally only happen if the vermin are in the area in the first place.
I will have some green cones with me (and order forms) at the forthcoming Wark Farm Event on 27th September from 10.30 - 3.00pm
Master Composter (Chris)
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wildgarlic
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Yay... can I book one please Chris!
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mastercomposter
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Green ConesNay bother.
Will take plenty of green cones.
Chris
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Ina
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Re: Green Cones v burying in ground | mastercomposter wrote: | If you were to burying your food waste directly into the ground, this would have a higher chance of attracting vermin.
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That's what I thought... My friend is a special case, really - she has so much space that she could bury it away from anywhere she doesn't want vermin! I can see the point for smaller properties, definitely.
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peppercat
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we have a green cone and have done for several years - I don't remember any instructions to empty out every 2 years. No rat problems but drainage is an issue if we get a lot of rain the bottom bit fills with water and the dog poo etc floats around and obviously doesn't rot well. This means in winter it tends not to work well but then seems to catch up again in summer although we don't put much in it being vegetarian and inclined to eat all our food not waste it anyway so mainly dog poo, dead things (e.g. mice from traps in the loft) and the occasional bad egg.
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Biggporgy
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Green Cones from 'waster' BGPfirst of all may I declare an interest that a few years ago I did a wee 'jobbie' for Green Cone in revising their advertising literature
I have one which I bought 'cheap' from the Cooncil to install it and try it out before I wrote my crit on their literature. I have had mine for about 4 years now and it does as it says on the tin ( one minor exception is that I believe that it works anaerobically rather than aerobically as they say - apart from that it does the job)
re rats that is the same great myth as the one about Council recyclate collections going to the landfill. If it attracts rats then YOU ALREADY HAD THEM in the vicinity and should be doing something about getting rid of them
If you want, then a very fine mesh wire would do the trick as suggested by James B.
Johncrf mentions about East Ren Council are doing a food waste trial ..nothing new, There are several across the country at the moment and Aberdeenshire Council were first. Issue is that Abshire Council costs were reported at £366 a Tonne for collection, transportation and treatment....to treat c 2-4 kg per participating house per week never mind the environmental impact of more lorries going about collecting it.
On the basis of the Proximity Principle would it not be better to give everyone with a garden ( over 80% of Ab C houses) a free green cone
To collect the food waste and garden waste ( in addition to recyclate)only spoon feeds the public and makes them feel good by producing more waste. The real answer is as per the title of this section or thread whatever it is called Refuse then reduce etc recycle is only just above disposal...of course their really is no such thing as disposal ...! Landfills are realy long term storage We will go back to mine the old landfills for their resources and to stop them polluting.
the rural recyclate collections actually are detrimental to the environment ( according to the SEPA software model WISARD) apart from the cost
most rural residents are happy to use the 'bring' systems in their local village etc and do not expect 'kerbside' collections ( proven by independant research )
Anyway, I did promise to try to debunk some of the myths around waste and recycling etc so...... How is all of that for starters?
have a good one
BGP
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mastercomposter
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How many people have viewed this thread?Good to see such a high interest in the topic - 830 viewings the last I looked. A good mix of information as well.
Thing to remember is reduce the amount you are throwing away in the first place (saves money as well - whoopee).
And if you need a green cone - Aberdeenshire Council have an order form on line which you can fill out or phone the wasteline. Aberdeenshire Council have been taking them around the shows and selling the display ones they have with them at each show.
All the best
Master Composter (Chris)
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Maria
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Biggporgy wrote...
| Quote: | | We will go back to mine the old landfills for their resources and to stop them polluting. |
Thanks for all the info Bigporgy. The above thought runs through my mind from time to time. Glad to know i'm not loony - but makes me more concerned about the stuff i still 'dispose' of.
| Quote: | | On the basis of the Proximity Principle would it not be better to give everyone with a garden ( over 80% of Ab C houses) a free green cone |
Jobs given to huge institutions instead of small communities often don't make much sense? I still can't quite believe that half a millon was spent on an advertising campaign (by Ab C ?) asking people to reuse their carrier bags!
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