Wormeries vs. Bokashi

[mjr]

But most (all?) tea bags actually contain plastic so they don't compost completely.

Don't they have to declare that on the box? https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jul/02/teabags-biodegradeable makes me think it might only be the glue sealing on some brands and that's 7 years old now, so things might have changed. I don't like tea, but I think visitors' Twinings and Clipper teabags have gone into the compost and I've not noticed them survive.

 

[annedonnelly]

Don't they have to declare that on the box? https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jul/02/teabags-biodegradeable makes me think it might only be the glue sealing on some brands and that's 7 years old now, so things might have changed. I don't like tea, but I think visitors' Twinings and Clipper teabags have gone into the compost and I've not noticed them survive.

Well, this seems to be a comment from June 2017 which confirms that most manufacturers still use plastic. Looks like your Twinings ones will be ok if they're pyramids.

 

[hopless500]

We mainly use loose tea but Twinings Earl Grey bags make an occasional visit to the compost heap and I've not had them appear intact 12 months on.

 

[mjr]

We mainly use loose tea but Twinings Earl Grey bags make an occasional visit to the compost heap and I've not had them appear intact 12 months on.

The problem seems to be that the plastic breaks down into small pieces which then linger in the soil almost forever

I guess I'll switch back to reusable tea balls for the fruit infusions I do drink, plus get some of those pyramid bags for visitors who I feel will give me the hairy eyeball if I suggest they start scooping looseleaf tea - although the reply from Clipper claiming that all filter papers contain plastic is a bit so who knows?

 

[annedonnelly]

How are you getting on with your bokashi @Fab Foodie ? Both of my bokashi bins are full and busy fermenting - lots of liquid coming off and going to clean the drains.

Unfortunately I didn't get round to harvesting from my compost bins last autumn so they're both pretty full too. I even had to throw some peelings in the waste bin the other day as I couldn't squeeze them in anywhere!

 

[Fab Foodie]

How are you getting on with your bokashi @Fab Foodie ? Both of my bokashi bins are full and busy fermenting - lots of liquid coming off and going to clean the drains.

Unfortunately I didn't get round to harvesting from my compost bins last autumn so they're both pretty full too. I even had to throw some peelings in the waste bin the other day as I couldn't squeeze them in anywhere!

Good question!
Ok I think! Problem is we don’t have that much wet green waste so I don’t think they are fermenting as well as they could. Lots of orange peel, egg shells, However, we’re perserveering and have emptied 2 bins into our rotating composter so far. I think there we will need to add some soil to help it along, but something is happening anyhow. We may have useable compost yet!
What we have drained from the bins has gone into our veg boxes.
The good thing is that along with our other recycling efforts, we’re not putting much in the main waste bins at all, so something must be working.
Time will tell!