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| May 2001 |
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Changes in composting
A1 Contractors will also be manufacturing a full range of Living Earth products under licence from the Living Earth Company. This, coupled with the redevelopment of the sales site at the Bromley Refuse Station, means that customers now have a wider choice of garden products at this site. Anyone taking garden organics for composting to any of the city’s three refuse stations should keep an eye open for the new signs at the drop-off points. They are reminders to take special care with material that has been sprayed with herbicides that contain Clopyralid as it is a potential hazard to compost quality. Clopyralid is found in several lawn-care products including Versatill, No Lawn Weeds, and Turf weed Control. The chemical is slow to break down, particularly during the composting process. Once sprayed on lawns the chemical remains active in the lawn clippings for six months or more. During this time lawn clippings should not be disposed of at the Styx or Parkhouse refuse stations’ compost drop off points, but should be mulched back into the lawn, or discarded as refuse. The compost drop-off point at the Metro Refuse Station now has facilities to accept contaminated lawn clippings. Since December extra monitoring and testing procedures have helped to ensure this chemical will not threaten the city’s waste reduction plans. The council is satisfied that the compost being produced and sold is safe to use on most plants. School tours and visitors are on the increase to the Refuse Station at Bromley with visitors being introduced to worm farming, bucket-c composting, commercial composting, refuse and recycling. To book a tour call Chris or Gill on 384 9347 or 384 0816. |
