Food waste meet the composters reclaiming our rubbish

Criw Compostio picks up waste, as well as wood shavings from a carpentry business and used rabbit and guinea pig bedding from pet owners, twice a week.

It is then taken to a processing site in Machynlleth “so we’re travelling a very short distance” where they have specialised composters.

“They’re like hot, rat-proof hyper composters that turn it into something that’s very unattractive to pests and such very quickly,” said Steph.

It take about a year to turn it into compost, which Steph said had just won an award for its quality.

“Local growers then take that compost, grow food that goes back to the cafes, cafes serve it, waste comes back to us and we turn it back into compost.

“The frame that we work within means it has to stay local, so we don’t sell it on eBay or Amazon or whatever. It stays within that resources loop.”

As in every other Welsh county, food waste collections from households, rather than businesses, are mandatory and carried out by Powys council.

However, Criw Compostio run sessions for households who want to improve the composting they do at home or to improve composting at allotments.

The majority of their compost users are people growing food to sell “in the Machynlleth markets, to sell in the local whole food shop, to sell directly to local restaurants”.

Steph said the cost of living crisis had raised interest for individuals looking to grow their own food and allotments were “hot property here”.

ffin said it was “interesting how much productivity can come from a small garden”.