HAMILTON
, ON –
March 12, 2010
- Compostable chip bags are poised to hit the shelves soon and manufacturers are to be commended for their efforts. However, due to the composting process used in Hamilton the City will not be accepting chip bags of any kind in the Green Cart Program. Products being introduced are made of polylactic acid (PLA), which is a corn starch-based product. It is fully compostable under the right conditions and carries the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) logo, which also appears on the compostable liners that the City accepts in the Green Cart program.
The difference between this chip bag and the liners that are acceptable in green carts is that the compostable chip bag has three (3) layers of PLA and breaks down in about 14 weeks under ideal composting conditions, while the liners are a single layer and break down in 1 to 3 weeks.
At the City’s Central Composting Facility material received is composted in tunnels for 21 days. As such, the chip bag will not break down in the City’s composting process and will have to be screened out and landfilled.
All chip bags should continue to be placed in the garbage.
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Media Contact
Craig Murdoch
Director of Environmental Services
Operations and Waste Management Division
Public Works Department
T: 905 546.2424 ext. 4490