Garden waste and recycle collections suspended in Bromley

JoeX

So I guess I’ll be composting everything I can!

Any ideas about composting weeds, diseased leaves, and things you wouldn’t normally compost?

Any smart ideas about all the plastic waste?  (I know, we’d love not to generate any but such is life)

😟

JoeX

I’ve just scraped a whole load of thatch and moss out of my lawn, that takes *years* to degrade 

JennyJ

Here in sunny Doncaster the garden waste collections are suspended but normal waste and recycling continues. I'll be shredding more than usual, and I'll use an old compost bag to store the stuff that I don't want in my own compost  bins (perennial weed roots, anything that looks diseased etc).

JoeX

Maybe if I have two heaps - one for future disposal, one for everything else.  If this lasts I’ll have a Monty style production line going!

So not all bad.  

I fear the plastic in our area will just go into the rubbish bags.

wild edges

Burn weeds etc if possible. The ash is good for the soil. If you have a lot of woody material then tucking it in piles under bushes and hedges makes great habitat.

For plastics you'll just need to crush everything down as small as possible and make sure it's clean so it doesn't stink.

JennyJ

Woody stuff that's too thick for my shredder already gets sawn into suitable lengths and stuffed in the corner behind the compost bins or in the hedge bottom anyway, kind of an unstructured version of bug hotels. I don't have anywhere suitable to burn things safely so that's a non-starter, but thanks for the suggestion.The green bin is mostly filled with twiggy stuff or things like ivy, when I can't be bothered to get the shredder out, so I'll just have to be a bit less lazy  Shredding ivy always makes me cough though......

JoeX

I’ve got a few wood piles already from past years(!)

I don’t mind making do, just wondering how best to do it.

Lizzie27

You could try soaking all the 'nasty' weeds in a bucket of water until they rot. They'll be fine then to drain out and put into your compost bin.  Did the Council give a reason why the collections have been suspended, too many workers off ill or the 2 metre rule?

Fire

"I’ve just scraped a whole load of thatch and moss out of my lawn, that takes *years* to degrade  "

I would think that if you mixed this in with greens and browns - possibly cut it small - it should break down fine as compost. Deep it damp, water it, add some garden soil.

JoeX

Lizzie27 said:

You could try soaking all the 'nasty' weeds in a bucket of water until they rot. They'll be fine then to drain out and put into your compost bin.  Did the Council give a reason why the collections have been suspended, too many workers off ill or the 2 metre rule?

I might try the water/rot but volume will be a limiter.

No detail, just Covid.  I sincerely doubt it is too many sick though.  I have quite a large network of friends and only one person I know is sick, and suspected of covid.

JoeX

Fire said:

"I’ve just scraped a whole load of thatch and moss out of my lawn, that takes *years* to degrade  "

I would think that if you mixed this in with greens and browns - possibly cut it small - it should break down fine as compost. Deep it damp, water it, add some garden soil.

Theoretically yes, in my experience I’ve still got thatch and moss from 2018 in my compost