Sir, – Russell Walsh (September 5th) provides clear and very helpful information distinguishing between biodegradable and compostable bags. Both Dublin City and Fingal councils make this distinction on their website guidelines to users of brown bins. They both permit fully compostable, but not biodegradable, bags to line the brown bin.
We are not so fortunate in the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown area. Here, compostable bags, which break down in 10-45 days and bear the EU Compost Standard EN 134132, are not permitted. These bags are made by at least three Irish manufacturers and are readily available in shops and supermarkets.
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Council’s Environment section has no information on its website in the matter, refuses to discuss it on the telephone and refers me to Panda which supplies the bin service. Panda tells me that they might eventually provide their own compostable bags. In the meantime they request us to wrap all food items in two sheets of newspaper in order to help keep the brown bin clean.
The idea of wrapping kitchen food waste in newspaper and storing it in a brown bin for two weeks at a time is clearly unhygienic and unworkable. I have instructed Panda to take our brown bin back. – Yours, etc,