A compost revolution is coming at Greener Kirkcaldy
Our Community Building at 8 East Fergus Place might not seem like the place for a composting revolution. But by linking the different parts of our busy organisation, something exciting is happening.
Each week, our community meal uses surplus food from supermarkets to serve a healthy three-course dinner to up to 40 people. A dedicated team of volunteers makes this possible. The result is a lot of vegetable peelings, food scraps, and garden trimmings. These all end up in the compost bins beside the garden. It was clear that we needed to do more.
Thanks to generous support from Fife Community Climate Action Network’s Seed and Development Fund, we can now expand and improve our composting work. We hope this will inspire other groups to do the same. We work hard to reduce waste wherever we can. Still, some waste is unavoidable. Food deliveries, bike parts, and paperwork all create packaging. More deliveries now come in plain, plastic-free cardboard, which is a step in the right direction. But this material still needs to be collected and processed.
We decided to close the loop ourselves. I asked our Active Travel team for their large cardboard bike boxes, which were headed for recycling.
At Ravenscraig Walled Garden, we laid the cardboard down on raised beds to supress weeds. We also built new compost bays using the wooden pallets from the bike deliveries. The cardboard blocks light, which reduces weeding. It also helps stop nutrients washing out of the soil. Worms and insects love it. Over time, the cardboard breaks down, and we add it to the compost as a carbon-rich material.
We also took inspiration from Mimi and Kasia’s composter at EATS Rosyth. Following their lead, we are installing our own hot composter at East Fergus Place. This system breaks down food waste much faster than traditional composting.
Hot composters work by trapping heat made by bacteria during decomposition. These bacteria can reach temperatures of 40–60°C. This speeds up the whole process.
To help with tough cardboard, we use an industrial cross-shredder. Shredding increases the surface area, which helps materials break down faster. It also makes it easy to mix cardboard with food waste from the kitchen.
While Greener Kirkcaldy is lucky to have these connected teams and spaces, these ideas can work almost anywhere. They can be adapted for homes, small groups, or businesses. Hot composters and shredders come in many sizes. Once everything is mixed and added, the system needs very little effort. The reward comes later, when rich compost is ready for the garden.
Wellbeing matters as much as productivity. If Greener Kirkcaldy can reduce waste, support nature and create a calm, welcoming garden for people and pollinators, that feels like real success. Keep an eye out for more updates on our composting journey.
Kit Cubitt, Community Garden Worker
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