Compostable plastics come in various forms and are made in different ways. You can read all about compostable plastics here
Composting Plastic At Home
While most agree that some plastics are indeed biodegradable and compostable, many say that they can only composted in large scale municipal schemes. As we don’t have many large scale municipal schemes this they say is a pointless advantage.I say the days of large scale municipal schemes is fast approaching as governments aim to divert biodegradable rubbish from landfill sites.
But I have been composting my PLA plastic for years. Including Biobags , Deli pots and disposable Cutlery)
I have occasionally composted cellulose.
Both take longer than “natural” materials and sometimes I have found shreds in my compost but I dig it into the soil where it quickly disappears.
The thicker the PLA the longer it takes.
PLA Lined paper cups disappear in no time, the cutlery hung around for ages.
What is biodegradable?
Biodegradable products break down through a naturally occurring microorganism into simple, stable compounds which can be absorbed into the ecosystem. More about biodegrading here
What is compostable? To be classed compostable, items must biodegrade within a certain time (around the rate at which paper biodegrades), and the resulting biomass must be free of toxins, able to sustain plant life and be used as an organic fertilizer or soil additive. For a man-made product to be sold as compostable, it has to meet certain standards. One such is the European Norm EN13432. You can find out more here.
To be sure you are using a compostable plastic get one that has been certified compostable. Check out the logo.
Read more about compostable plastics here
We have used and composted the following products.
These disposable, water-resistant bags are great for
fish and meat
Frozen foodstuffs and freezer bags.
Deli pots PLA
Waterproof plastic pots with lids are great for all manner of deli delights including
Cream cheese
Olives
Deli counter lovelies
They can also be used to storefood in the freezer.
Took longer than all the above but they did decompose.
Disposable Cutlery for our big party PLA
Took forever but eventually they did disappear.
Cellulose
The remains of my cellulose sponge cloths and the PLA wrapper they came in.
Toilet Rolls
Greencane deliver toilet rolls are wrapped in cellophane, a compostable plastic. Which I compost. Find out more about Greencaneproducts here.
How Do I Compost?
I have a Green Joanna compost bin and I compost up in the North of England
N.B.
Lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x
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