Community Compost + Waste Systems

Explore possibilities for community-scale composting and waste systems like compost toilets to support thriving soil health in your green spaces.

Ffin presents a case study for a local community composting social enterprise, discussing behaviour change and why alternatives are needed. We will explore which types of waste to endorse and to avoid, investigate various techniques employed to make different composts and introduce the soil food web complete composting.

During this weekend course, we will explore how collecting, composting and using excreta to prevent pollution and harness soil fertility potential. Together we will investigate alternative sanitation principles and best practices; compost toilet types, installation and maintenance; relevant planning and regulatory frameworks.

What will we learn?

• Soil food web principles
• Nutrient and water cycling
• Composting methods and regulations for home and community scales
• How poo can prevent pollution and harness soil fertility potential
• Licensing and regulations around alternative sanitation like compost toilets
• Health and safety practices and looking after people

Who is this for?

• Farmers, growers, gardeners looking to close nutrient cycling loops and reduce inputs on their growing sites

• Anyone interested in regenerative soil care practices

• Anyone looking for solutions to pollution and off grid, decentralised sanitation provisions like compost toilets

• Adults – 16 years old and above (under 18s to be accompanied by an adult)

Course Instructor

ffin (they/them) trained as a biologist and human ecologist and works on water and soil kinship practices, alternative waste management systems and aligning our metabolic entanglements with the living web; they worked on the ecological sanitation systems of the Center for Alternative Technology for a decade, and now consult on and co-design toilet systems; they coordinate community science projects on water quality and make compost in the Dyfi valley where they live.

www.linktr.ee/criwcompostio

Key Information

Date - Sunday 31st August 2025, 10am - 4.30pm

Location - Troed yr Harn, Talgarth. 

Arriving - We operate a car-free campus and we will meet at Talgarth Car Park at 10am to walk up to the campus together.

The walk from the carpark to the campus is a 35 min walk, over farmland and through woods, with a fairly steep incline at the end.

We will walk down at 4pm, so expect to be back at the carpark around 4.30pm.

If you do not feel comfortable with this walk, please contact magda@blackmountainscollege.uk and we will arrange for you to drive to the campus.

What to bring:

• Water bottle and packed lunch (BMC will provide hot drinks)
• Weather-appropriate clothing suitable for outdoor work
• Sturdy shoes
• Notebook and pen (optional)

How much does it cost?

We aim for our short courses to be as accessible as possible by removing finance as a barrier to learn. We also have to ensure that we can cover material and teaching costs. To do so, we operate a Pay What You Can model. We ask you to select one of 5 ticket options based on your individual financial circumstances:

True Cost - £85

Reduced Rate - £50

Philanthropist - Gifting a donation to the college to support future courses & bursaries: £300

Free - Fully-funded

If you would like to be considered for a free place,  please send an email to magda@blackmountainscollege.uk. You will be contacted by a member of our team 2 weeks prior to the course starting. Please note that once tickets are sold out, we can no longer accept bursary applications.

Please note that spaces on all our courses are limited. We operate on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Please view details on our pricing structure here for suggestions of what rate to pay.

Refund Policy

We will refund a 50% of your ticket until 4 weeks prior to the course start. After that tickets are non-refundable. Depending on the uptake of the course we hold the right to cancel it, in which case you will be refunded. In cases of extreme weather or other unforeseen circumstances that force us to cancel the course, you will also be refunded.

Accessibility

This course is rated as 2 (less accessible) on our scale of accessibility. Read more about our accessibility policy here.

Please see our booking terms & conditions upon checkout for more information.

We will be doing some practical work around the farm buildings moving over rough ground, with steep slopes so this is less suitable for those with mobility requirements. We will endeavor to make adjustments where possible, please get in touch with magda@blackmountainscollege.uk if you have access requirements.