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Plastic in compost for vegetable seeds

leahme1M39cleahme1M39c Posts: 5
in The potting shed
I am growing vegetables and herbs, got everything ready to plant seeds in fibre pots. Was planning to use Lidls compost and see its full of bits of plastic, from tiny bits to a few centimeters long. Its not what I want in my organic veggies. I see from other coments its not just Lidls that has this problem. Would resulting veggies be contaminated? Worried they will be taking up micro platic. Worse still I have dug some into soil in new raised bed, now checking I see its full of these plastics too. Very disapointed. Made an emergancy order at B&Q, just hoping this is better. Am I being paranoid? I'll be getting a bulk order of loam for top of beds but just wanted to get the seeds startded.

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Many composts now contain 'recycled' something or the other which is usually the contents of the green (in my area) garden waste bins which also contain waste food (in my area). Some people chuck plastic bottles and all sorts into them and it all ends up getting mushed-up and recycled into compost.
    I don't use compost with recycled stuff anymore for that reason.
    B&Q Verve also contains the same stuff I'm afraid.

    I doubt it has a real effect on plants, but I don't want bits of plastic and glass in my compost and then in my garden soil too.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I switched to Grow Wise a few years ago.
    Their MPC with added JI is the best I've found in years and nothing in there that shouldn't be

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    edited May 2020
    It's just the world we live in. Very true that even home made compost can easily get contaminated with plastic, especially if a whole family fill the bin, though I've really tried to control it more of late.

    Seems even well known compost suppliers make use of so called municipal compost, which has an allowance for plastic contamination. It is 'allowed' to contain a surprising amount. I don't know about others, but I mostly fill my green bin with garden waste I wouldn't want to compost, so it is kind of ironic considering what it ends up being sold as.

    Cleanest stuff I can get is well rotted horse manure from a local stables. If you have grass clippings and some woody material that can be chipped (run over with a lawnmower if needs be) that will be the cleanest source, simply because you have some control over what goes into the mix. Don't forget though if you have a nylon strimmer, it can end up in grass clippings as well. 

    In all though, times are difficult, I would use it for the veg, uptake of micro plastic is probably not going to be a real issue. I'm very much planning in the future to abandon buying is compost that is allowed to have quite a lot of plastic waste. I just remind myself that one day our entire existence on this planet will be a little squashed layer in the ground, along with our plastics.
  • leahme1M39cleahme1M39c Posts: 5
    Yes I've started making my own, but this is year zero (inherited a 'garden' that was 80% paving slabs, whats underneath is sand and clay!) so have to start with bought in for the seeds). Its a good lesson I will check whats in the bulk loam Im planning on buying in. I know I'm particular about this sort of stuff but find it hard to believe non degradable plastic is allowed, though I can see how its hard to control. I'll be better prepared next year. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Commercially grown organic veg has chemicals on it anyway. Growers are allowed a 'tolerance', but people mistakenly believe there are never any chemicals within miles of an organically grown crop .
    I certainly wouldn't be concerned - nothing is 'perfect' no matter how much we'd like to think we can make it so.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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