Julia Roberts has revealed that motherhood has made her more concerned for the environment - but she believes it’s better to set realistic goals about what she can acheive.

Already the mum of twins Hazel and Phinn, Julia welcomed son Henry into the world in June this year and has juggled parenting with making new film Charlie Wilson’s War - but still found time for tending her compost heap.

She said recently: “With the environment it’s kind of overwhelming, the state that we are in. Having children makes you realise all these things.”

“They are perfect and you think, ‘How can I help sustain their state of bliss and progress?’ And really beating up the planet the way we have is not going to do that. Having kids is a great catalyst for reflection and action.”

“It makes you say, ‘OK, what’s the thing that I can truly attack?’ It sounds silly when you talk about composting, but it’s something that is manageable in my household, something that I know we can accomplish.”

“I drive a biodiesel car and I try to set goals that are achievable as opposed to saying, ‘I am going to be completely waste-free in my house.’ It’s just a little bit at a time.”

But she’s not about to become a spokesperson for the green cause: “Why should anybody give two s***s what I think unless you are my friend or my neighbour? People do care what celebrities think, but it’s such a hollow care.”

“I’ve seen actors on TV start talking about their politics or their religion and stuff, and I just think, ‘You are putting me off.’ I don’t need to know every single little thing.”

“It’s nicer if you don’t have all those little voices in the back of your head when you are watching somebody in a movie.”

  • Want to start your own compost bin but don’t know what to put in or leave out? Visit Can I Compost This? to find out.