Today's story in the Guardian about recycling in Flanders reminded me how much I have come to take recycling for granted since I have moved to the Netherlands. In Britain I was considered a bit of a freak for recycling as much as I could. Here it is normal. Bottle and clothes banks, paper collections and separate bins for compostables can be found in every neighbourhood and the vast majority of the population are conscientious about using them.
One of the less pleasant aspects of doing this is having to clean out one's compost bucket on a regular basis. It is not a job to do an empty stomach! I recently thought I had found a way out of this task when I discovered biodegradable bin liners. However experience over past weeks has made me doubt whether they are 'fit for purpose'. The last two times I have gone to empty my little compost bin I have found that the bags had already started biodegrading and when I go to pull them out they leave the same stinking sticky mess in the bottom of the bin as before. But at least they don't spontaneously decompose when being carried down the hall. So now I am wondering whether is some a 'light green' alternative - bags that do not decompose until at least a week after their contact with liquid / sunlight or whatever is the vector for early decomposition. Any recomndations ?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment