Katy Kitchingham of WHAM signs up another customer to a life of composting in lovely spring sunshine that was warm enough to get the green-fingered itching to get out in the garden.

THERE was a strange scene at Merkinch Primary School on Saturday 15th March when two ladies from WHAM (Waste - Highlands Action on Minimisation) unloaded a trailer full of what looked like upturned green plastic daleks - environmentally friendly compost bins and all for the give-away price of £2 each!

They hardly had time to set out their stall with information about the value of using compost bins to cut down on household waste before a queue formed.
Instead of filling up our dustbins and our precious landfill sites with rot-able material such as vegetable trimmings, scrunched up bits of paper, stale bread, eggshells, teabags, grass clippings, dead flowers, autumn leaves and even most weeds (but not meat), we can turn it into rich compost which enriches the earth and makes our gardens grow better.

In no time there was a steady stream of customers which went on all day. Going by the number of familiar faces, Merkinch gardens are set for a blooming lovely summer. The same morning, to get the environmental message across, there were two performances of “The Ugly Bugs Ball”. This was a half-hour show about the environment put on by the school pupils with the help of Claire Crowle from Eden Court.
The youngsters did very well and enjoyed themselves every bit as much as the audiences.

The landfill situation in the Highlands is becoming critical - the Longman tip closed at the end of March and all attempts to find an alternative in the area have failed due to public resistance to having a tip in their neighbourhood.
In Scotland we produce 16 million tonnes of waste annually, at least half of which comes from our homes. Some 95% of Scotland's waste goes to landfill.
WHAM was set up with various partners with the aim of making a long term and sustainable contribution to waste minimisation in the Highlands.

People came from all over Inverness to get compost bins when WHAM visited Merkinch Primary School last month. Here Marion McDonald of WHAM helps a gentleman load a couple of bins into the boot of his car.

Don’t forget - if you want to have access to the use of garden tools, why not join Merkinch Tool Club. For a small annual subscription you can borrow a wide range of tools. Contact Brian Cain at Craigton Avenue Community House or ring 718912 for details.