Frequently Asked Questions
5. What will I do with my rubbish without plastic bags to put it in?
- Biodegradable bin-liners are better than plastic bags as they will eventually bio-degrade along with the other rubbish. You can get starch-based ones made of corn or potato starch. (For example, Compost Caddy Bags , Compostable Kitchen Bin Liners, Compostable Refuse Sacks, Compostable Wheelie Bin Liners - see also Useful websites). Kingston council now provide these for food waste
- But the jury is out on these (see http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/apr/26/waste.pollution); everything that decomposes produces methane, a greenhouse gas, so it's best to create as little waste and to use as few bin-liners (of any sort) etc as possible
- Now that Richmond & Kingston collect food waste separately, you may not need bin-liners for the rest of your (cleanish) waste. Modern wheelie bins are designed for unbagged waste to be thrown straight in. Waste paper bins don't need to be lined; in kitchens, or where waste is messier, newspaper could be used
- Long-term, we should all produce much less waste and need fewer rubbish bags to put it in
- In any case, plastic bags aren't going to disappear from shops overnight so there's no immediate need to panic. We certainly don't need as many as we currently collect, even if we do use some for our rubbish
Plastic. Where do you think it goes?
