[elfy]

Hi i,m wondering wether or not you can put used paper towels on the compost heap or not. We go through loads at work throught drying our hands  but not sure wether they will be contaminated or not, any suggestions ? cheers Elfy

[Growster...]

Often put them in the bin, unless they've got oil or some other gunge on them...

One day, I'll shred all those old bills, and they'll go on as well!

[Swing Swang]

No probs in principle - will add a lot of 'browns' to your heap. Just be careful that your company is not required to leave an audit trail when it disposes of them, or that they have to be bagged seperately, or else they could face fines.

I can feel a rant coming on over yellow bags - there's stuff that you can put in domestic 'black bags' which I have to put in yellow bags when at work, and pay extra for, and leave a paper audit trail. They go into landfill just the same mind you, the only difference is that they come off the lorry first, and 'go into the hole first'. It's a mad. mad world.

[mumofstig]

No problem with paper towels...It all depends what was on the hands in the first place, I suppose
I used to work in a pharmaceuticals factory site, and wouldn't want to use ones which had wiped hands with chemicals on them.
Office workers washing hands and drying them on paper towels is different .....and i wouldn't mind composting those, if you see what I mean.

Just use common sense

[thecakebaker]

Anything that goes into yellow bags should never go into land fill it should be sent for incineration as its classed as bio hazard. Yellow bags are used for things like dead animals, anything that has blood or other body fluids on.

[elfy]

Thanks folks for your answers ,i think you have made my mind up for me. I,m going to give it a go because there will be no nasty chemicals on them just remnants of soap i suppose. Thanks again , Elfy

[Swing Swang]

@ thecakebaker - well it's nice to know that the premium that I'm paying isn't just for landfill - obviously I misunderstood the "really simple to understand" regulations! It's still annoying that stuff that a householder can throw into a normal black bag has to be treated differently by a small business.


Edit: Just checked - it's the yellow bags with a black stripe that are permitted to be landfilled in an approved fashion (which I was told just meant them going in the ground first, although maybe that was just to wind me up!) - seems like what I called yellow bags should have read tiger bags - apologies for the confusion!

[pepsi100]

I gave up on the recycle wagon coming round to pick up news papers, so now I shred them and they go on the compost, seemds to work well with all the green stuff

(I make sure its wet before it goes on the heap, I say heap, its really an old dustbin with the bottom cut out, just take the lid off and chuck it in)