Can you put plastic bags in compost?
Not ordinary plastic but some - that is, SOME, only. (I’ve used some bags which do not decay despite their labelling assertions.)
But.
Council officer, Helen Bradley said this to me:
” . . . biodegradable bags do take longer and start by breaking down into pieces and breakdown over a period of time. If they can empty the bag and then just tear it up a bit it will break down quicker. As long as there’s not massive quantities of the bags going into the compost it’s fine.
I personally prefer a bucket with a sealed lid for scraps – best to avoid buying additional bags where possible (saves money too) – but it’s whatever makes it easier as we each need to determine what works best for ourselves and our households.”
I agree. This is what I said to someone who’s been putting them in our Chippo bins and asked if that was ok:
“They’re ok but take a long while to break down; if you want to keep using them please spill the waste out of them into the bin then chuck the bag in after – the decay happens faster that way.
Better to use paper bags if possible as they break down quicker eg the brown paper ones you get when you buy mushrooms.”
May the decay be with you,
M
I went to Reverse Garbage and bought a used plastic container that once held that muscle-building protein powder stuff… I’m sure passers-by think I’ve got a long way to go yet, but it has a handle and a fantastic seal so is perfect for a week’s worth of compost.
While bio-bags and compost-friendly plastics are a much better alternative than your traditional plastics, for something as routine as collecting green waste I’d try to promote a non-disposable option. But as Helen has said, different things will work for different people.
We’ve been using some cornstarch bags for our green waste. They are pretty tough and afterwards just get eaten by the worms. Goes by the name of BioBag and comes with a plastic holder with a lid and can be found at most environmental shops.