Louise Sallé, edited by Laura Laplaud 10:44 a.m., November 29, 2022

More and more French people are starting to compost, which will be compulsory in every household from January 1, 2024. All communities will then have to collect it and every household will have to have compost.

But concretely, what is compost?

ANSES is sounding the alarm.

In a report published this Tuesday morning, the National Agency for Health Safety, Food and the Environment warns about single-use plastic bags called "biodegradable" or "compostable".

They should not end up in your compost as some components of these bags do not degrade and are best disposed of in the yellow bin.

An important rule since from January 1, 2024, each household must be equipped with a composter, even if you do not have a garden, and all communities must ensure its collection.

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What is compost?

When a plant grows, it takes nutrients from the soil and when it dies, it returns those nutrients to the soil.

And what is returned is the compost, from flowers, trees, but also from the food we eat.

But for this compost to contain good nutrients, rules must be followed.

Gather green waste in a bin, in the open air, in a place that is neither too dry nor too humid, otherwise the micro-organisms will not be able to do their transformation work.

It is possible to make compost in your garden to return it to your plantations or you can have it treated industrially.

There are collection systems and this is then used for public gardens or farmers.

The benefit: a non-chemical and economical fertilizer which also prevents organic waste from being incinerated and producing CO2.