To get ready for NYC’s push for mandatory recycling of organic materials, Great Forest has been exploring options that could work for NYC businesses that have little or no space to store organic waste, and where separate organics pick-ups are not feasible.
One of the solutions we are testing uses Blue/Green bags from a company called Organix Solutions.
Stuart MacDonald, the company’s managing director, visited Great Forest recently to share more information about the bags. While Stuart would not divulge what his bags are made of (trade secret!), he tells us they are strong enough to go through a compactor without breaking, and are capable of holding loads of 30 to 60 pounds (although bags over 30 pounds may not be practical as they are almost too heavy for a person to lift). At the same time, the bags (BPI certified compostable) are designed to break down in 60 days under the right conditions.
Using these bags, businesses can potentially throw their bagged organic waste in with the rest of their regular waste. In Minnesota, where Organix Solutions is based, that is what they are doing. The bagged organics are removed from the load at the transfer station, then sent to a compost facility for further processing. This maintains the source separation efforts while reducing the need for another truck to pick up organic waste (separately from trash) from the building.
Great Forest will be testing more bags this summer. So far, they seem to be studier than other bags we have tried that have failed. Check this Sustainability 101 blog for updates on this law.
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