We have a lot of membrane on the paths at our allotment, and wouldn't be without it, even though we don't like using plastic.
It's funny how many people see bark chips as environmentally friendly (and don't even start me on cardboard): we get bark chips "for free" at the allotment, however they are delivered by a tree surgeon who;
1) Cuts down trees (generally not great) 2) Uses a petrol chainsaw to cut them down (not great) 3) Delivers them by lorry to the site (not great). This is at least local, how many petrol miles has your garden-centre bought bark chip travelled?
They rot down fairly quickly and so need to be replaced every 6-12 months, so it's a constant cycle of 1/2/3. Having membrane prevents the soil from coming into contact with the bark chips, we think we use less bark chips as a result, meaning less 1/2/3.
We use metal U clips to pin down the edges of our membrane, which is also folded over, so we never get it fraying at the edges or coming up. The paths on neighbouring plots, which don't use membrane, are swamped with weeds.
'wouldn't be without
it, even though we don't like using plastic.' Unfortunately, you know
its wrong to use it, but you still do.
Can I ask where your
membrane was produced? Probably China. How many petrol miles has your
garden-centre bought plastic membrane travelled?
If you are
going to make points like you did, your membrane has made more trips
than the chippings that are being recycled, natural and being put
into the ground, instead of horrible plastic.
How did it travel
from the factory to your house, and then from your house to the
allotment? I'm loosing count of how many trips your membrane
has taken!
Secondly, chippings
don't have to come from chopped down trees.!! It's busy season for
chippers in autumn and winter....trees and sticks falls by themselves
and are chipped. Most of the chipping I do comes from fallen down
trees, sticks and other woody garden waste.
Finally, some of us are environmentally conscious and use
the electric chainsaw whenever possible.
I didn't really make it clear in my original post that the chips came from a local tree surgeon. They waited until they had a job near me so it saved them driving a long way to wherever they normally dump them.
I will keep the plastic membrane after taking it up. I need some to cover the new big compost heap I'll make, and some temporarily on beds not in use.
I think overall if I can stop buying compost, and the petrol associated with that - and make us loads of food from basically a waste product, which means less plastic wrapped veg from the supermarket, it's got to be a good thing.
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I will keep the plastic membrane after taking it up. I need some to cover the new big compost heap I'll make, and some temporarily on beds not in use.
I think overall if I can stop buying compost, and the petrol associated with that - and make us loads of food from basically a waste product, which means less plastic wrapped veg from the supermarket, it's got to be a good thing.