I only just got around to sieving and distributing last years compost. It had to be done before I ran out of space for all the weeds that have been doing so well in the damp heat. For the first time, I rented a rotary sieve and got it done in two days. Here is a picture:
The fine stuff passes through and the bigger bits, fibre, sticks and stones roll into the second barrow. The pale flecks are pieces of allegedly compostable plastic bags from magazines and newspapers. It seems that this stuff breaks up slowly.
A lot of "compostable" plastic only breaks down in commercial compost facilities which get hotter than home compost bins
That's a good thought. As I don't send anything to Veolia for composting, perhaps I can save the plastic up until I have a big load of grass clippings. That gets surprisingly hot for a few days. Anther novel compostable item, disposable plates made from sugar cane, broke down completely.
Good to hear about the disposable plates, as the hospital I work for - the canteens are now doling out compostable cutlery (and plastic bags to contain them) as they can't be bothered to wash up! Maybe we will set up our own compost facilities and will encourage direct composting of the cutlery! Plus ca progress...
#duggiegardens
For a garden party five years ago I bought plastic cutlery that was described as compostable but it seemed so robust that we washed it all afterwards and most of it still survives for use at future parties. I put none of it in my compost bins so I can't say how it might have fared. The sugar cane plate were a great success. Much better than the usual paper plates. Also compostable tumblers for cold drinks worked well and broke down in the compost without trace.
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