Latest News

Householders must take care with organic waste fumes

A study in the Netherlands and an article in the New Scientist both warn that organic-only bins produce significantly more gases from decomposing waste than mixed-content bins. People storing their organic kitchen waste - such as banana skins, apple cores and potato leftovers - in badly ventilated kitchens could be damaged by breathing the resulting fumes, or find existing respiratory conditions such as asthma get worse. Studies found levels of beta-glucans in the mould found on organic waste in kitchens, which can cause lung and throat inflammation.

The findings need not scare people away from storing and separating organic kitchen waste - it simply calls for waste to be emptied more regularly, or stored outside or in well ventilated areas. The study will no doubt have more impact on smaller families that produce less waste (which therefore doesn’t get emptied as regularly) and live in small er more cramped houses with small kitchens.