This topic contains 5 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by smilingbadger 12 years, 1 month ago.
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Biodegradable bags are less presentable, and I wonder how ling they take to degrade, having found a local deli’s "biodegradable" cups take a long time to alter in appearance while in my compost heap.
I use labels from sheets with 21 per A4 size.
I tried using biodegradable clear bags when i first started selling leaves. Got them online from company called polybags. Minimum order was for a box of 1000 and more expensive than normal poly bags. At the time i wasn’t selling many bags a week and by the time i’d got a quarter of the way down the box they had all started to fall apart!
Maybe if you are only supplying friends you could try the resealable freezer type bags and ask for them back each week to be reused? I use 12×18 inch standard polybags for 500g of leaves with no labelling now.You might consider ‘Debbie Meyer Green bags’. You can find them on eBay and sometimes on QVC. They do not claim to be biodegradable but you can use them up to 10 times, and they work by absorbing ethylene gas using a natural mineral substance. Here is a clip about them. “They absorb and remove damaging gases: Most fruits, vegetables and flowers release ethylene gases during the natural ripening process after harvest. Exposure of the produce to these gases accelerates aging and deterioration. Debbie Meyer GreenBags are made with a natural mineral Oya that extends the life of produce by absorbing and removing the ethylene gases that cause normal deterioration. Allows use of entire refrigerator for storage… store in the refrigerator or on counter top, wherever you would normally store your fruits and vegetables. Each bag is re-usable 8-10 times… simply rinse, allow to dry, and re-use. GreenBags are also great for fresh cut flowers and fresh herbs.” They are brilliant, BUT the cheaper versions that are about with different brand names are not so effective and rather flimsy, in my experience. I store my allotment produce in them in the fridge, and when overloaded in the cool garage; I store my fruit inside these bags in the fruit bowls; maybe not a good look, but you don’t waste anything! Maybe you could use simple and cheap tie-on labels?
We started using Council supplied bags for compostable kitchen waste. yes they do soon fall apart but when the compost was ready, the bags were still evident! Now the compost has been used to mulch the flower beds it looks awful. So now I will try to pick out all the bits. We now put kitchen waste in a plastic bucket with a bit of newspaper in the bottom so it doesn`t get too soggy.
Maybe we all should consider the consequences before we unleash all this biodegradeable “litter” on the environment, if its not really necessary.Cheers
Pete
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