Ecobags News: Composting in the Community

As part of Plastic Free July, Ecobags based in East Tamaki, decided to offer a free drop off disposal point at their premises for food and plant waste to be disposed of in compostable bin liners, this then gets sent to a composting community facility and turned into valuable compost to improve soil quality.

The initiative is to encourage local businesses and Ecobags staff to reduce the amount of organic waste going to landfill.

When food waste is sent into a landfill, it creates methane gas, methane is a greenhouse gas that is 23 times more damaging than carbon dioxide, so food waste in landfill can contribute greatly to the greenhouse effect and climate change.

Organic matter such as, food waste, paper hand towels, garden waste and approved home and/or commercially compostable bin liners and packaging are very valuable resources, when composted in optimal conditions, it leaves behind a nutrient-rich fertilizer or compost, a useful product that helps to grow next-generation plants and food, creating a completely sustainable economy.

In two months we have successfully prevented 100kg of organic waste from going to landfill.

Ecobags has designed a range of 100% compostable bags and bin liners that are an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastic liners. Our bags contain a natural starch-based polymer derived from corn (plus PLA and PBAT), an alternative to traditional plastics that contain polyethylene or other non-degradable plastics.

Ecobags and Ecopack founder, Jas Kohli, says "Our fully certified compostable bags make composting food waste even easier. Our compostable bags break down in around 90 days, depending on the conditions, when you put them into compost bins at home, or in commercial composting community facilities.”

We hope more businesses will get involved with reducing food waste being sent to landfill and begin their own composting collection.