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I think I may have discovered a downside to the concept of biodegradable carrier bags. I habitually carry a few carrier bags inside the various day sacks I use - it means I've got one on hand to reuse if I need it and, especially when the weather is wet, can protect the contents by allowing me to wrap them in relatively waterproof subcompartments.

Yesterday, my wife got down a bag I haven't used for ages and discovered that one of the bags seemed to be shredded, almost as if a mouse had been trying to make its home in there (but no other rodent signs). Do you reckon I'm right in assuming that was a biodegradable bag? If they are going to degrade like that, I'll have to be more careful about what carrier bags I carry round in future!

Wulf

we have a box were we keep any bags to be reused and I've seen this type of thing. It did turn out to be mice, teeny, tiny little guys. once or twice I have used carrier bags to cover my children in their pushchairs if I didn't have the cover with me, works pretty well and the handles make them easy to fix on

Wulf, they're the degradable ones.

We had some in the loft for keeping stuff in.

Went up in the loft one day to get said stuff, and the bags were in shreds. There was no evidence of mice, and the bags had nothing missing, you could have put the shredded bits back together if you wanted. They shredded into like little square bits.

Wasn't mice, twas the bags.

I have a question which I keep forgetting to ask!

I get an organic box of fruit and veg each week. The spuds and carrots come in biodegradable plastic bags. Can they be composted?

Dont know much about biobags, assume they will be ok to compost,i suppose they may need a bit of time.I sugest you xperiment & report back to us.A.

The ones I've tried in the past took a long time to degrade - much longer than the compost!

I will snip them up before I put them in the composter maybe?

One of my problems with plaggy bags is collecting after my dog when we walk in the park. There`re plenty of dog waste bins - (absolutely full of supermarket bags containing `dog waste`.)
I wonder if my hound`s contribution would be better in a degradable bag. I`m going to get in touch with the council and ask what happens to the contents of the bins and if degradable poop bags are an answer.
I almost dread the reply.

Merry

I think we have the same kind of thoughts about the plastic timebombs filled with doggy doo. YUCK!!

Merry wrote:One of my problems with plaggy bags is collecting after my dog when we walk in the park. There`re plenty of dog waste bins - (absolutely full of supermarket bags containing `dog waste`.)
I wonder if my hound`s contribution would be better in a degradable bag. I`m going to get in touch with the council and ask what happens to the contents of the bins and if degradable poop bags are an answer.
I almost dread the reply.

I am very interested to hear what does happen to it all. Also, you know those wee plastic bags, like nappy sacks, that the council provide to collect your doggy droppings in - are they eco-sensitive or are they designed to keep he poop inside until it fossilises?

I've had this problem with bags I'd use to store rags & dust sheets. They are both in Co-op bio-degradable bags & crumble when I touch them. Rags are now laying on the floor of the understairs cupboard in a pool of confetti-like bits of bag...