Compostable bags?

waqasahmed
waqasahmed Posts: 1,994 Forumite
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edited 9 May 2022 at 9:17AM in Green & ethical MoneySaving
So, 

I'm buying a house and the local council in that area allows the following to go into the brown bin

- Compostable bags
- Cooked and uncooked food
- General garden waste

Where can I find cheap bags?

I'll end up getting these bins
https://www.recyclingbins.co.uk/stackable-recycling-container-45-litres.html

They're expensive but they take a lot of waste. I was then wondering where I might find these compostable bags cheaply? - They'd need to fit a 45 litre bin 


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  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 17,203 Forumite
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    We use paper bags in our compost bin (oe sometimes, just brown kraft paper). Would they be acceptable to your council?
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  • paul991
    paul991 Posts: 431 Forumite
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    surprising our  council provides  the bags  free of charge 
  • Ectophile
    Ectophile Posts: 7,896 Forumite
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    Most people would keep a small bin (around 5 litres) in their kitchen for food scraps.  The green liners for these are available in all good supermarkets, and many discount stores.  When the little bin is full, you tie up the bag and chuck it in the big bin.

    I have never seen larger ones for sale.
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  • BUFF
    BUFF Posts: 2,185 Forumite
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    Compostable or biodegradable bags are generally used to hold your food waste. Most people hopefully are trying to cut down on food waste nor want to have large amounts of that in their houses so do you really need 45l bags/bin for that (most have a smaller kitchen caddy)?
  • Rodders53
    Rodders53 Posts: 2,625 Forumite
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    Our current council provides food waste bins and free compostable bags on a roll that fit the small (5-7 litre?) kitchen caddy.  Those bags get placed in a larger 23-25 litre bin for weekly collection.

    You won't want 45 litres of kitchen food waste kept in a bin indoors - the kitchen caddy size can stink after a few days' worth.  We have 2-3, sometimes 4 nowhere near full bags from the caddy in the outdoor collection bin most weeks.

    IF they could be placed in our garden waste bins I'd just empty the kitchen caddy and take the bag to that bin to dispose of it as often as necessary.  {It's what we did in the last house where the council had the system you have.  They no longer accept food waste in them, though.}.

    Compostable bags are readily found in varying capacities - although perhaps not the exact 45 litre  size...  40l and 50l.
  • BUFF
    BUFF Posts: 2,185 Forumite
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    Rodders53 said:

    IF they could be placed in our garden waste bins I'd just empty the kitchen caddy and take the bag to that bin to dispose of it as often as necessary.  {It's what we did in the last house where the council had the system you have.  They no longer accept food waste in them, though.}.

    Compostable bags are readily found in varying capacities - although perhaps not the exact 45 litre  size...  40l and 50l.
    This is what I do - food waste>kitchen caddy with biodegradable bag>garden waste bin (ours is on a 2-weekly collection).

    45l compostable bags are available but I would imagine harder to source & more expensive than higher volume <10l compostable/biodegradable which are available in most supermarkets.
  • Screwdriva
    Screwdriva Posts: 1,470 Forumite
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    Home Compostable bag => small brown compost bin
    Compostable => larger rubbish bin. Will decompose within a year. 
    Biodegradable => larger rubbish bin. Will take much longer to degrade.

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  • waqasahmed
    waqasahmed Posts: 1,994 Forumite
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    QrizB said:
    We use paper bags in our compost bin (oe sometimes, just brown kraft paper). Would they be acceptable to your council?
    They just say that you can put compostable bags in there, but they haven't said anything else

    What You Need To Put In Each Bin (tameside.gov.uk)

    Also, I swear they have the most complex bin schedule known to anyone. I've never lived here before, but I am moving there


  • waqasahmed
    waqasahmed Posts: 1,994 Forumite
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    edited 9 May 2022 at 9:45PM
    BUFF said:
    Compostable or biodegradable bags are generally used to hold your food waste. Most people hopefully are trying to cut down on food waste nor want to have large amounts of that in their houses so do you really need 45l bags/bin for that (most have a smaller kitchen caddy)?
    I eat a lot of fruit. Not much I can do with bananas skins, or onion peels lol
  • BUFF
    BUFF Posts: 2,185 Forumite
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    Biodegradable => larger rubbish bin. Will take much longer to degrade.

    The ones that I use (from a supermarket) are visibly going within the 2 weeks (max) that they are in my garden waste bin. Also, my council recommends biodegradable (compostable wrappings etc. also go in garden waste bin).

    waqasahmed said:
    BUFF said:
    Compostable or biodegradable bags are generally used to hold your food waste. Most people hopefully are trying to cut down on food waste nor want to have large amounts of that in their houses so do you really need 45l bags/bin for that (most have a smaller kitchen caddy)?
    I eat a lot of fruit. Not much I can do with bananas skins, or onion peels lol
    OK, but you aren't going to create 45l of banana skins/onion peels in 1 or 2 weeks.
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