Compostable bags in your allotment bin or not ?

[Beetroot Bob]

As it say int he title really.

We get composable bag from the council for our food recycling but only send them what we can't compost our selfs.

The question is if we use the compostable bags int he kitchen can we just throw them in our compost bins or should we brake them up first ?

Thanks

[FionaH]

The ones sold in shops as compostable don't break down well at all in normal compost bins. Maybe they don't get hot enough?

[Alison]

I've never really understood the need for using bags at all but I know some people really like them. To me they just seem unncessary and not worth buying (we don't have anything like that from the council and ours won't pick up food waste which I find annoying but that's another story!). We tend to put all our kitchen waste in a caddy on the side, empty it into the compost bin when full and simply wash it out. Garden waste is just collected in a plastic trug and then carted to the bins in that.

[Two_Sheds]

Some bags break down in sunlight, but not in compost heaps (ie the ones they use at school).

I just line my compost caddy with a carrier bag, empty it onto heap, rinse dry and reuse.

[Alison]

I just line my compost caddy with a carrier bag, empty it onto heap, rinse dry and reuse.

Just out of curiousity, why don't you miss out the bag and just wash the caddy, I always find bags a right pain to wash?

[Two_Sheds]

Because I need to bike the compost up to the lotty, 3 miles away. I save several bags up and take 3 or 4 at a time.

[Alison]

Because I need to bike the compost up to the lotty, 3 miles away. I save several bags up and take 3 or 4 at a time.

The mist clears - makes perfect sense. I put kitchen stuff on the compost heap / wormery at home so just walk it down the garden / by the back door as appropriate. Never thought about taking it to the lottie although I do put trugs of worm compost in my trailer or take the bokashi bins up there too.

[TallGirl]

Dunno about compostable bags, but we line the compost caddy with the compostable wrapper from Suma loo rolls. So far it seems to be working reasonably well (and makes caddy-washing easier).

[gojiberry]

I wouldn't put poly bags on a compost heap even if they are compostable as I would be concerned about chemical contamination. I know that a lot of bags are now made from more natural sources than crude oil but why take any risks when there is no need to.

Ian