Cwmffrwdoer Primary + Hotbin Mega: snack waste to a 96 kg harvest (and a Platinum award)
A quick update I’m really pleased to share. Last year, Felicity bought a Hotbin Mega from me for Cwmffrwdoer Primary School in Pontypool. It’s been such a hit that the school is now planning to add a second Hotbin Mega to scale up their composting from snack scraps to canteen plate waste.
“We have composted all the children’s snack waste for a year and now plan to do more with the plate waste from the school canteen. All the children are engaged with the process of composting and are using the compost they have made on our allotment. This year we have harvested about 96 kg of produce… The children have been awarded a Platinum Waste Warriors award by the local council for all their hard work this morning.”
— Felicity Clarke
That’s exactly what hot composting in schools is about: fast results, real learning, and produce the children can take pride in—just in time for Harvest Week.
Why Hotbin Mega works in a school setting
- Fast turnaround: Running hot means food scraps become usable compost quickly—perfect for a busy term.
- Clean and contained: Big capacity, enclosed, odour-managed—ideal on school grounds.
- Hands-on learning: Pupils see the loop from snack time → compost → allotment → harvest.
- Scales up: Start with fruit peels; add plate waste once routines are bedded in (a second Mega helps).
Huge congratulations to the pupils and staff at Cwmffrwdoer Primary on their Platinum Waste Warriors award—well deserved. And a big thank you to Felicity for championing the project and sharing this brilliant update.
If your school is considering hot composting, I’m happy to help you choose the right setup and share simple pupil checklists, signage and “eco-monitor” roles to get you started.
