GREEN-fingered Wyre Forest folk are being urged to have a rotten time in their gardens and help reduce the waste going to district landfills.

As part of the Grime's A Crime campaign with the Shuttle/Times and News, Wyre Forest District Council will be selling compost bins and water butts at specially reduced rates to encourage people to make their own compost. Ivor Bishop with his compost bin and some of the food his home-made compost has helped him produce.

Green desk spokeswoman Beth Williams said: "Our commitment to gardening in this area is shown by our waste figures.

"There is more green waste in our bins than in any of our neighbouring counties. By the simple act of composting we can reduce the amount of compost going to landfill by up to a third."

More than 800 bins were sold at last year's event and Ivor Bishop, of Nursery Grove, Kidderminster, has been using the bins and butts he bought then to save money on water and reduce landfill waste.

He says the compost he produces in his own garden is "better than anything you can buy" and has been using it to grow vegetables. He hopes others will follow his lead when council representatives set up stall at Stourport's Riverside Meadows on Sunday, October 14 for another sale and to offer advice to first-time composters.

Ninety-four per cent of all household waste collected in the district goes to Hartlebury's landfill site.

Ms Williams said: "This is an excellent opportunity for local people to make their own free compost - in doing it they are also making a very valuable contribution to our local environment by saving waste from going to our growing mountains of landfill.

"We all need to be thinking more carefully about what we put in the bin."