What’s the difference?Compostable, degradable, biodegradable and plastic bags.

Figuring out what all of the types of bags are is a tricky business. Which ones are better for the environment and which ones can be used in the FOGO bin?

Certified Compostable Liners

The roll of bright green caddy liners supplied to you with your FOGO bin are certified compostable. They are a type of bioplastic which means that they behave like plastic but they are actually made from a plant (waste from cornstarch production). Because they are plant-based they are able to break down with the FOGO material and return nutrients to the soil.

The compostable kitchen caddy liners are specially made to decompose along with the foodwaste they contain. This organic material is then turned into quality compost. These liners conform to the ‘Seedling Logo’ and comply with Aus-tralian Standard AS4736-2006. They are fully composted in commercial composting systems within six months but usually break down in around 30 days. These bags are not suitable for backyard composting.

Bag splitting can occur and bags begin to break down when they come in contact with moisture and heat. To prevent this from happening:• Store bags in a cool, dark, dry place.• Allow hot food to cool before placing in bag.• Place a paper towel in the bottom of the bag to soak

up any liquid.• Allow wet food to drain before placing in the bag.

Biodegradable bags

Biodegradable bags will break down and return to the environment but this usually takes longer than a certified compostable bag. These bags do not meet the strict re-quirements for compostable bags. Some companies claim that their bags are biodegradable but without certification there is no way of knowing if this is actually true or not. Bio-degradable bags are therefore not accepted in the Council FOGO collection.

Plastic bags

Plastic bags cannot be used in your kitchen caddy or placed in your FOGO bin. Using plastic bags will contam-inate your organic material and may damage machinery used at the composting facility. Ultimately they may even end up as part of the compost on farms polluting the land or being ingested by cattle!

Degradable bags

These are the worst type of plastic bags available! Degrad-able plastics contain additives, usually heavy metals which assist the material to disintegrate over a number of years into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic. These bags are even more harmful to the environment than plastic bags. Some supermarkets are using them for their fruit andvegetables, claiming that they are an environmentallyfriendly alternative to plastic bags.

Yes No

Alternatives

As paper is plant-based using paper bags or newspaper to line your kitchen caddy is an approved alternative. If you are placing animal waste in your FOGO bin, wrapping it in newspaper first could help keep your bin cleaner.

More information on your FOGO

Running out of compostable caddy liners, what do I do?:You have been supplied with one year’s worth of liners based on using three per week.

You will be provided with another roll of liners on the anniversary of when you first received your FOGO bin. If you run out of liners before then, you will need to purchase your own. These are currently available online, visitwww.compostapak.com.au/our-shop while we are working to establish a local retail option for the bags in Warrnambool.

What happens to your FOGO?Each fortnight your FOGO bin will be emptied by the collection contractor and the material delivered to the composting facility.

At the moment this is the Camperdown Compost Company. This is an EPA Licensed site producing compost that meets Australian Standard AS4454-2012.

Over a 2-3 month period the composting process involves the following steps;• Mulching of the FOGO material, mixing with other organic

material and adding moisture.• Long piles (called windrows) are then formed where

microbial activity starts breaking down the material.

• The temperature of the windrows is kept at 55-65 degrees Celcius. This pasteurises the compost and destroys weed seeds and pathogens.

• The compost is turned, keeping the compost active.• The end product is screened to size depending on end

use.

The facility processes the material and produces a number of products including mulches, organics fertilisers, landscape soils, potting mixes, top dressing and broadacre fertiliser.

These products are sold to farmers, commercial landscapers, wholesalers and retailers.

This is what your FOGO waste Finished productOne day your FOGO could look like this!