Dealing with food waste can be gross.
That’s why many people use kitchen-sized biodegradable plastic bags that can be tossed into the green bin.
But, the bags are causing problems at some waste management facilities in the South Shore.
Gus Green, General Manager of Waste Check in Yarmouth, says that’s why they don’t allow them.
“It takes significantly longer for these ‘compostable’ bags to break down than time allows for in our system,” he says. “So, typically what happens is that at the end of our processing there’s still quite a bit of plastic left.”
Green says beyond the processing problems there’s another issue that might not be as obvious.
“People see their neighbour using a compostable bag and then they start using a Sobeys bag not realizing there’s a difference between the two.”
Facilities in Shelburne, Queens, and Lunenburg counties will accept the kitchen sized bags, though some will reject the bigger green bin liners.
Everyone our newsroom spoke to says paper or cardboard is the more environmentally-friendly option.
