Page 23 - ALG Issue 1 2020
P. 23

                                 The Big Compost
Experiment
opportunity for you to get involved
 Biodegradable plastics are growing in popularity, both with industry and the public. This is because they are seen as a solution to the problems of plastic waste. However, their environmental credentials need to be more fully assessed for several reasons. Currently there is no UK-wide system for the collection and processing of biodegradable plastics. There are insufficient instructions and labelling to indicate what citizens should do with them, and there is very little known about how these materials break down in domestic composting environments such as allotment compost heaps or bins.
If introduced into recycling streams, this material contaminates the feedstock created and reduces the value of the recycled plastics produced. If these materials are added to municipal food waste collections destined for industrial
processes such as anaerobic digestors or industrial composting, they are rejected, because these systems are not optimised to process them. As a consequence, most biodegradable plastics are burnt or thrown into landfill, which defeats their purpose. Studies show that biodegradable plastics
often remain intact in the environment for years. The danger of the growth
of the biodegradables sector is that proportionally more biodegradables will end up in the environment, or contaminating recycling systems, to the detriment of both the environment and the recycling sector.
To help investigate the role and effectiveness of biodegradable and compostable packaging, UCL’s Plastic Waste Innovation Hub has launched the Big Compost Experiment, a new nationwide ‘citizen science’ research project. Participation involves a short
Biode- gradable plastics are growing in popularity, both with industry and the public
online survey, gathering opinions and information on behaviour surrounding the use and disposal of biodegradable and compostable plastics, as well as an optional home-composting experiment to gather information on home- composting habits and environments across the UK.
For more information or to take part, please visit: www.bigcompostexperiment.org.uk
INSPIRATION
KNOW-HOW
                                               18 - 21 June 2020 | Birmingham NEC
The best day out for keen gardeners
featuring the National Allotment Society’s Let’s Talk Allotments talks area
EXPERT ADVICE
SHOPPING
                     Advance tickets from £19.20, quote NAS bbcgardenersworldlive.com | 0844 581 1344
          Show sponsor
*20% off general admission adult/Over 65s advance tickets only, excl Saturday. Not valid on VIP/Luxe or with any other offer. Ends 21/06/20. £2.95 admin fee applies. £19.20 is Over 65s standard ticket with 20% off. Details correct at time of print. The Gardeners’ World logo is a trademark of BBC. © BBC. Organised and presented by River Street Events.
20%* OFF QUOTE NAS
              











































































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