Shropshire’s “master composters” are spreading an eco-friendly word around the county. Ben Bentley caught up with them shortly after they were nominated for a top award.

“It’s lovely and warm and I’ve had mice nesting in mine,” says Val Oldaker.

Standing in her garden in Shrewsbury, the retired computer expert reveals her secret weapon.

“Let me show you my compost bin,” she announces, “it’s fascinating.”

Carefully, she lifts the lid and inside Mother Nature’s work is in action. It stinks. Like an organic orgy, worms writhe in ecstasy and flies have an extra spring in their steps as they set about a freshly-discarded scone and last weeks’ potato peelings.

Shropshire, it turns out, is festering nicely thank you. And it’s all down to the likes Val who, with a total of ten compost bins to her name, is just one of a growing band of Shropshire Master Composters – ‘evangelists’ of the rubbish heap whose mission it is to dish the dirt on the virtues of composting household waste and helping to reduce levels of rubbish being poured into landfill.

And, of course, to complete the circle by chucking the resulting muck into the ground and growing some prize cabbages.

Two years ago when the Shropshire Master Composters scheme was set up in a joint drive by Shropshire Waste Partnership and Telford & Wrekin Borough Council, there were precisely none of them.

But, like the propagation of worms and flies in a good compost heap, 12 months later there were 28 – all of them volunteers who achieved their ‘master’ status following an intensive two-day course.

Today there are 46, situated in towns from Market Drayton to Oswestry and from Market Drayton to Ludlow, and they are in the running for a Pride of Shropshire award this year in recognition of their community work.

At Val’s house, very little goes to waste. Into her bin goes most food leftovers, vacuum cleaner dirt, weeds, twigs, an old sack, an egg box and even an old jumper and some shredded paper.

She reasons: “Anything that’s lived and can rot can go in. Our job is to encourage ordinary people to compost at home and if they are doing it already, to do it better.

“The idea is to reduce household waste to landfill which is around 220kg per household per year. That’s quite a lot when about 80 per cent of the contents of the average bin is compostable.

“It’s ridiculous how much we throw away. If we put it in landfill the methane will be much more harmful greenhouse gas than CO2. And not only that but what we are throwing away is valuable – people spend five or six pounds on a bag of compost but you have already got it available.

“It’s a fascinating process. It’s going to happen whatever you do but we are trying to do it so we can use it ourselves.”

Like many master composters, Val also holds an allotment where the rotting fruits of Mother Nature’s labour work wonders on her caulis.

However, she has an admission. She says she’s not a very good composter. Which is odd given that she was recently voted National Composter of the Year for personal achievement in the field.

She explains: “I’m not asidious. I’ve got an allotment where 8 of my compost bins are. Some are made from pallets and I can’t get into them to turn over what’s inside, which you are supposed to do. But it still works so anyone can do it.

“The compost is super and the vegetables are fine. This year I’ve had no blackfly on my broadbeans and no caterpillars on my cabbages – whether it has anything to do with the fact that the plants are stronger because of the compost I don’t know.

“They are certainly tastier.”

Val says that the composting movement is gaining momentum, particularly as we are living in a time when interest in environmental issues has collided with the looming prospect of having no money in our pockets.

Food prices are rising and when the going gets tough, the tough get growing. That is, they get an allotment.

Says Val: “There are 28 people on the waiting list at our allotments in Coleham, and it’s the same everywhere. People are very receptive to the idea of composting now – when we set up our stalls in town centres, they come to us rather than us having to go to them.

“It’s like going back to the old days.”

Singing composter Jack Jones from Monkmoor is the newest member of the Shropshire Master Composters. Aged 75, he’s an example that it’s never too late to get composting.

Jack has a point to make in all this too, and one which might make non-recyclers sit up and smell the rotting coffee.

“If they start charging for getting rid of household waste by the weight then more people will soon get doing it,” he points out sagely.

Our man in Monkmoor already has a few converts too. He says: “I live in a block of flats and I’m setting up a compost bin for the residents. There’s a real interest there.”

Master composters are active in conducting talks and demonstrations in town centres as well as in schools and clubs such as the WI. There is also a project to get worm bins into 30 nursery schools across the county and there is even a 24-hour helpline for composters to get advice should they find themselves in a pickle.

With Val and the group, talk always turns to compost. The conversation can degenerate anytime, anyplace anywhere.

She says: “I found myself on the treadmill at the local gym talking to a woman on the next treadmill about compost.

“We are all crazy about it – all we talk about is composting – it’s sheer admiration for nature. It’s one hell of a system if you think about it.