The Valley News has a good story on the problem that so-called compostable items like bags, plates and utensils are posing for landfills – especially in Vermont, which has a strict no-food-waste-in-landfill law.
Basically, too many “compostable” items aren’t, really, and even the ones that are in theory don’t in practice.
“I am not a fan of compostable ware because I think there’s a lot of greenwashing involved in it,” said Ham Gillett, program and outreach coordinator for the Greater Upper Valley Solid Waste Management District.He said that a backyard compost pile never builds enough heat to break down most biodegradable utensils and plates. Even large facilities whose compost piles reach high temperatures struggle to break down many compostable food wares.
You can read the whole story here.
Return to the Concord Monitor
Recycling in general been a horrible misallocation of resources.