Composting - Can you use Tesco carrier bags in compost bin?

[Briony32]

I've been informed that Tesco carrier bags (the free ones) are degradable, and you can use them in your weekly food collection. I don't use the weekly food collection however, as I prefer to compost all my waste food. Does anyone use carrier bags in their home compost bin and how long to they take to degrade?

I wouldn't. I used those biodegradable compost caddy liners and they didn't degrade. I don't think home compost bins get hot enough.

I had a 'degradeable' 'plastic' cup once, and I buried it in the allotment. 4 years later it still hadn't done anything, not even swelled up at all so I removed it and put it in the recycling. I'd never put plastic in the compost bin. Perhaps put one in and see if it does indeed degrade. I'd make a note of the date though as I'm sure when you keep putting it back in your compost bin year after year you will need to remember which year it was that you put it in.

if it isn't from (maize) starch then you can't.

Thanks guys. Thought as much. Don't fancy having plastic bag remnants blowin around my garden so I think I'd better stick to newspaper.

The special biodegradable ones you can buy to line your compost caddy take about 3 years to degrade in my domestic bin - ie 2 years longer than the rest of the stuff in there. So no, they're only suitable for really big really hot commercial composers.