Should I Add These to the HOTBIN?
Made from corn starch, plant extracts and even paper, most food caddy bags in circulation today are both biodegradable and compostable. These bags will break down in the HOTBIN, however we advise they are torn or shredded (not a practical solution when bags are full of food) before they are added to the unit to avoid problems with airflow.
But it is Convenient to Throw the Whole Bag and Contents in!
It is convenient, but not the best idea.
We appreciate the convenience that these caddy liners offer however it is crucial to the HOTBIN’s operation that bacteria have an easily accessible food source. Adding waste in these bags makes this food source harder to access as it creates a protective layer which bacteria will need to breakdown first before being able to access the waste inside - ultimately prolonging the decomposition process.
In detail, the bag effectively “seals” the contents from airflow. The food inside the bag decomposes anaerobically during the first 1-10 days before the bag itself degrades. This leaves a mushy smelly mess; the bags then compress and form a layer, which restricts airflow causing the bin to cool and turn anaerobic. As the temperatures fall, the bag decomposition slows leaving you with a HOTBIN that needs completely emptying and all the bags separating out – a very unpleasant job.
Why Doesn’t the Council Have These Problems?
Caddy bags offer residents a convenient way to bag up their waste and place it in the outside collection bin. The council however compost on an industrial scale where all waste is shredded before being processed through the composting plant. For this reason, it does not matter if waste is bagged.
Recommendations
If you are using these bags to line your kitchen food caddy, rather than adding them into the HOTBIN we would recommend emptying the waste from the bag into the HOTBIN first and disposing of the bag separately in your council waste collection.