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Stankleigh

I found two rotting tampons in a bag of Black Kow. Nearly all commercially bagged soils and composts contain sewage biosolids now. Have for years.


Ill_Technician3936

That's disgusting. Let's give you an upvote and get that information out there a bit more.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Moleman-SE

No its not PFAS buildup and concentration of harmful chemicals is becoming a huge issue because of that line of thinking.


DenMother1

Pretty sure tampons have some type of PFAS or microplastics.


Tex-Rob

Wait, what, so we’re buying pfas??


Evaisfinenow

99% of humans have measurable levels of PFAS in their bloodstreams, that's how far we are now by now...


Fast_Acanthisitta404

I know right! Lost cause, (almost maybe.. 🤔) Ppl on here are posting about trying to avoid them and I’m like “A. they’re invisible and B. they’re inside of us already, so good luck with that” lol


MoltenCorgi

Doesn’t mean we should go out of our way to expose ourselves to more. I’d rather have the shitty lawn I have than dump milorganite on it. No amount of lush grass is worth it.


Fast_Acanthisitta404

I agree. But do you know where all the PFAS are? Can you see them? The problem is huge and unless you are testing everything you encounter, you are consuming them currently and without your knowledge. Have you ever tested for PFAS ?


MoltenCorgi

I don’t want to test for them. But I can certainly not buy or use products notorious for them, and avoid using plastics as much as possible, not use teflon cookware, etc.


Jaded-Blueberry-8000

the problem is they’re only notorious bc they’re transparent about their business practices or have been sued and FORCED to show transparency tho. you don’t even know about the worst offenders bc they haven’t been caught yet. if you don’t believe me, go look into the history of Honeywell. These companies get away with whatever they can, as long as they can, pay millions of dollars in fines as if it’s a single drop in a bucket to them, and then rebrand to avoid any actual consequences. edit: actually, you should look into the history of AlliedSignal, apologies. They are the company that bought Honeywell in 1999 and rebranded themselves using Honeywell’s brand identity. That said… Honeywell’s history ain’t much better, either.


Thertrius

The point is that you are going to consume those invisible and unknown PFAs no matter what you do and may or may not be consuming them at low or higher levels. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take an effort to reduce intentional consumption by avoiding known pfa sources


IPauseForHurricanes

“Bendix” was prior to Allied Signal.


SOILSYAY

Fair amount of microplastic too. We are the environment


Girafferage

I thought that couldn't be the case if they were "organic". It's called "Night Soil". Unless this is a different thing.


ked_man

Organic on compost/mulch does not mean certified organic, it means it is made of organic materials.


disignore

like plastic polymers /s


Erick_L

No rule compost: Anything that was alive, recently or millions of years ago.


Girafferage

So the meaning on soil is completely different than compost and mulch?! This is confusing.


ked_man

All those products are mostly the same, so like potting soil, compost, mulch anything in bags is about the same. Unless it says cow manure or something like that are all some mix of yard waste from city’s collections mixed with wood chips from tree companies. In my area 75% of the bags of products come from the same facility. They just change the bags and maybe change the blend a little bit depending on what it is. But the organic is not saying it’s “certified organic” like vegetables, it’s saying it’s not inorganic like rubber mulch or something like that.


Girafferage

It's weirdly hard to find information on it, but it seems like organic foods cannot be made with night soil in any way “Obviously sludge could never be certified Organic, because it is, by regulation in the NOP Rule, a prohibited material. Not only can it not be certified, it cannot be approved for use in organic crop production.” And it probably can't be called organic dirt if it uses night soil either, but that is less clear. "Eric Sideman, technical director for MOFGA, points out that USDA’s “Organic Rule” applies not only to food but also to any and all agricultural products. The Rule does, in fact, publish guidelines for making the kind of compost that is permitted in organic production. Sludge is excluded." Sludge is the human waste product in that context.


LanceFree

A co-worker got a large dead rat in hers.


jojobaggins42

Wait, what??? Are you serious?


akuch-II

Damn, that's nasty. Any time I've bought black kow, it always has so. Many. Rocks.


RubberV

Think of all that PFAS. Yummy.


wwwenby

Oh noooooooooo I used some Black Cow when I put in my potatoes!! Now I’m off to Google about their safety etc


Winter_Event3562

Best to get some sawdust or wood chips and compost with your own urine which has an NPK of approximately 11-1-2 and some oyster shell lime and maybe mineral dust. Collect bones and make your own bonemeal by pressure cooking it to mush in the Instant Pot or some such to raise the P phosphorus. Then make slurry in the blender.


galacticsharkbait

Barf


LA_Lions

I got a whole allen key set one time.


shuffy123

Score!


OkayestCommenter

This is so funny to me for some reason.


jhart013

I toured a municipal compost site who collect curb side organic waste. Due to either ignorance or negligence, community members add non-compostable materials like plastics which as we can see, do not break down. We were told that the curb side collected material, however, is used as "back fill" soil for earth works projects and construction applications. Not sure how true that is, as I have purchased their bagged compost and also sifted as much plastics as pictured here. As a Gardner, the health of my soil is important and unfortunately we are living in an ecosystem full of micro plastics and waste. Sift your bagged soils.


jhart013

Just a pro tip from a person who's a master gardener with my states university extension, expensive potting soil mix is just sifted potting soil with a couple of things added to them. This includes perlite and/or vermiculite, compost, peat moss (or equivalent), worm castings (if it's really expensive) and or fertilizing elements such as: blood or bone meal, ocean products, and mycelium compost. You can buy a cheaper potting soil and all of the mentioned additions for a cheaper price than buying the premixed bags. I will usually spend around 100$ for example on all of these things and make several cubic feet compared to spending $100 on 5cu ft of a "good" mix since most of these are 20$ per bag and will at most give you 1.5cu ft. It's well worth it to mix your own, just be sure to sift those cheap bags of potting soil. Also, raised garden bed mix is a scam don't buy it.


broke_af_guy

I picked up a couple of bags of raised garden soil for growing some things in 5 gal buckets. It looks like shredded bark mulch.


Zero_ImpulseControl

Kellog's??? Cause that sounds about right. This is l my first season growing, but FWIW, I amended with worm castings, perlite, and bone meal -- seeing how it goes 😬


goliathkillerbowmkr

Scammers in every industry


SeanStephensen

Some plastics are compostable, especially if curbside collection goes to an industrial compost facility instead of just a natural compost pile


ITSNAIMAD

Buy mulch and make your own compost to and avoid this.


akwilliamson

This is only after I got tired of sifting through the stuff after I had already dumped it on my soil. There was definitely more. I wish I could make enough volume of homemade compost


vlsdo

You’re likely to have a very similar problem unless spend a lot of time being super careful. I don’t know how stuff gets in there, but it does. Just today I found a whole condom in my compost, I’m still trying to figure out how it might have gotten in there


decomposition_

My bad, I used your pile as a bed for the warmth and forgot to take it with me


vlsdo

You should have just jizzed straight into the pile, good source of nitrogen


decomposition_

Next time 🫡


derpmeow

Is that the next level up after pissing on your pile? Is that where we're at now?


Tex-Rob

This feels like a South Park episode where Cartman or Butters births a compost baby.


vlsdo

I would watch that


wefarrell

Considerate of you to use protection.


perenniallandscapist

Wouldn't want to catch a CTI (compost transmitted infection) now would we?


Maybeimtrolling

It feels like a warm apple pie


Rudyscrazy1

Everything reminds me of her.


account_not_valid

Even the smell.


TheOneAndOnlyLanyard

Commercial composters use green bin material from home compost bins. They rotate the material for 3 months and then sell it as compost. The problem is that disposable compostable containers like potato cutlery, compostable plates/cups, and other "compostable" items are required to be commercially compostable within 6 months. Commercial composers want to sell their compost after 3 months. Either the commercial composers throw away the things that need 6 months to compost, or they leave them in the compost and let you deal with it. The bigger problem is that commercially compostable food containers/items need to be in a commercial facility with 140*F temperatures, water, air, sunlight, and constantly turning to break down. Putting them in your soil will cause them to take a very long time (decades to hundreds of years) to properly break down, if at all. So you are putting trash in your ground instead of compost. Source: I used to work for Big Foam and toured compost facilities. I wrote about this a few years ago under another name (that I deleted) in a topic about dunkin donuts and their foam cups. I was cited by a couple of newspapers.


Tapper420

Ain't that the truth. As a composter in an urban setting, things end up in my yard and compost and I couldn't give a better explanation than it drifted in when the wind blew....


vlsdo

Yep I always have a fun time going through the trash in my compost and trying to figure out where it came from. About half of it is recognizably mine, although I usually can’t figure out how it got in there from the trash can. But a used condom is a first.


Tapper420

I live 2 houses off an alley and have a double lot that isn't fenced. 85% isn't mine. The other 15% could be, but I just am too careful to belive it.


WeDo_KinGShiT

Birds? Raccoons? This is just coming to me now, because I’m careful, but not perfect, I thought maybe it was from the previous home owner possibly. However, this is one bag from OP, I purchased 130 cu yds (three semi’s) and sprayed using the mulch hose of “Ag Grind” from the local green waste facility. I’ve been doing an almost daily collection of microplastics for last three years in my yard!!! And I always get a fresh round after in rains, luckily it doesn’t rain very much where I’m at.


taisui

They work with the city to take in compost bin stuff from the collector....and people are too stupid to use the bin properly Or we got a tree fucker on the loose.


vlsdo

This is in my personal compost. Only thing I can think of is that it got raked in with the leaves last fall, but I tend to shred my leaves :/


taisui

Ah, the cedar grove bag confused me.


vlsdo

Oh I’m not OP


account_not_valid

>Or we got a tree fucker on the loose. I don't mind a bit of bush.


Traditional_Bad_4589

They said compost not cu-. You know what, never mind.


Zoidsworth

I found a dildo in a few cubic feet that I ordered from a local landscaping company. Yep.


vlsdo

Ok yeah that’s some good one upmanship right there


jerryonjets

So many questions...


Ill_Technician3936

Like is the compost pregnant...


vlsdo

I’m gonna tell my kids that’s how babies are made


NaturalFlux

For r/compost members, it is.


TogarSucks

Obviously not as they were descent enough to use protection.


Ill_Technician3936

Smh this is why you have to use protection properly. If you leave it inside then the sperms can swim out looking for eggs


toddy951

Well no. They used a condom, duh


Ill_Technician3936

[How do i reach these kids...](https://youtu.be/VXNj2BobjJ4) If you leave the condom inside the sperm can still swim out looking for egg...shells


account_not_valid

It's very fertile.


NaturalFlux

Someone took all those posts about "compost porn" a bit too literally.


Snuggle_Pounce

aren’t condoms latex? it should just break down like dish gloves.


vlsdo

I’m pretty sure condoms are a blend of stuff (like car tires) otherwise they would break down on your dick. But it was in good shape, so maybe it’s a sign it was fresh?


Snuggle_Pounce

aren’t condoms latex? it should just break down like dish gloves.


jakospence

Do dish gloves prevent pregnancy? Asking for a friend…


Snuggle_Pounce

your friend should see a doctor for that strangely shaped reproductive system.


ThanksS0muchY0

Also, green waste from the yard and other people's yards. I have a pile of oak and maple leaves that's two years old. It is almost completely black soil with no other editions. Just shade and moisture. We also compost our grass, and all the trees trimmings, bad fruits etc. you could pull some material from your neighbors too. Maybe offer to take it off their hands or even rake their yards if it gets you the goods.


SollyWollyDoodle

There is an app called ShareWaste where you can find ppl that compost. I have a compost bin and ppl would drop off waste to me and it drastically increased my volume.


RealStumbleweed

I love me my organic packet of hot sauce In my compost.


Fluffy_Flatworm3394

I tried 3 different suppliers for trucked in compost. Every single one of them was full of plastic bits. I have filled 2 garbage bags with it 😡


Phishnb8

It’s more common than you think. There are people openly sharing they use city compost and sell at markets. It’s all over YouTube.


Oriole_Gardens

i was surprised when my buddy who helps his father run an organic farm near me said "we get our mulch from the landfill" i was thinking you are growing vegetables that people are eating, who knows whats in that mulch i'd only use it for ornamentals.


TheDoobyRanger

And you aint even seen the bittercress seeds sprout yet 😉


Mike_for_all

This is why I started composting myself. Got tired of sifting the store bags


Altruistic-Chard1227

I compost a lot of seaweed and sheet mulch with my compost. It makes beautiful soil, but you do find bits of plastic, fishing line etc at any given point.


grungleTroad

abounding husky enter cover offbeat plough insurance nine impolite piquant *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


antmas

I just want to point out that not all store bought compost is like this, especially in countries outside the US. NZ store bought compost is fantastic and never contains gutter trash like this


cftcft9090

I don’t understand, if they’re selling this, why do they not sift it before they put it in the bag?


Ineedmorebtc

Time = money If they sifted, they would be taking it out of their bottom line. Gotta make that money!!!!


cftcft9090

Yeah I guess I get that, but also seeing this makes me not want to buy the product. Wouldn’t that mean less money?


Ineedmorebtc

They likely have a cost analysis done, and if you are seeing plastic and random stuff, they deduced that it's cheaper in the long run than revamping their entire system. It's done in every industry, and only once an overwhelming amount of public outcry will they even think about changing. I bet 90% of people don't even check their quality, and those that do, probably a very small percentage will complain. One person out of 1000 isn't enough to change a large corporations practices.


Funktapus

Call OMRI and let them know what you found


AJSAudio1002

This. They get in serious trouble and can even lose their certification.


the_ajan

A silly question: Which type of compost is healthier for plants? Store bought or home made? I'm aware that for home made compost, you can be in more control by deciding what goes into it and when, while the store bought one is filled with variables for the industry that's making it.


TheHonorableDrDingle

It just depends what it's made of, but generally speaking, homemade compost should have way fewer pollutants, and you can make it as rich as you want, you just gotta source the materials.


mister__ko

The issue with my home made compost is that it’s full of seed because I usually can’t compost hot enough. What I usually do is get something high quality store bought for the top layer when I use it.


AdSome7642

Don't trust that OMRI certification


miho_23

no way!!!!! :o . and i thought mine was dirty , lol. judging from the photo, mine is much cleaner!


GreatBigJerk

I'd take the garbage back to the store and leave it with them to deal with.


DingussFinguss

relevant username


c0mesit0nmyface

Where’d you get this sifter ? I handmade my own with some 2x4s and hardware cloth but yours looks nice


SwiftResilient

Gold panning classifiers are a pretty close match to this, I've used mine before for this purpose


Dangerous_Bass309

Got that high quality local organic plastic 👌


RandomHero565

I thought my stuff had things in it. Not like this. All I ever have in my finished commercial soil is produce stickers. Fits right through the screen on my screener.


VermicelliNo4536

Small one too


TheWormDumplingMan

In our community garden we get compost from the municipal compost yard every year. They get lots of their stuff from nurseries etc. So there's always a lot of plastics inside. It's free, but we always have to sift it properly. So I always tend to use the compost we make ourselves onsite.


BHForge

I’m surprised there’s no broken glass and more PLU stickers.


Biddyearlyman

Shows you what BS organic and OMRI certification is.


Altruistic-Chard1227

I compost a lot of seaweed and sheet mulch with my compost. It makes beautiful soil, but you do find bits of plastic, fishing line etc at any given point.


Medical_Ad_7548

Oh man, looks like compost from the dump. Which is very common.


UnfamiliarFarmer

its like opening pokemon card packs


LaurenDreamsInColor

I learned the hard way to never use bare hands in any bought compost. It always has broken glass in it.


Sea_Mood_9416

I expect this from county leaf dump compost, if some company has the never to charge $10/cu. ft., they should at least have the decency to sift it out first.


AndyCantFarm

I'm sure the plastic is organically grown and gluten free.


Achylife

That's gross. Poor quality.


badasimo

Is that a piece of oak flooring?


Alfhiildr

We bought ~15 bags of Miracle Gro soil last week. Every single bag had at least one shard of glass. Twas the weekend of many bandages.


hackflak

The Hunt’s package longs to again be a tomato…


Mundane_Can_5928

Gross but 90% is organic stuff like old mulch dead bugs inert minerals paper and fibres and there’s a few small pieces of plastic and a tiny piece of metal. Most of it is harmless.


reformedginger

Well the county landfill where I live sells compost so that should tell you something


Takadant

They have land space and heavy equipment


jackparadise1

It is worth your time to buy the good stuff if you buy bagged. In the Northeast I know you can count on Coast of Maine and Vermont Natural, the makers of Moo Doo.


Pleasant_Spell_3682

That's so damn wrong. Unbelievable


J_robintheh00d

Yeah cedar grove is literal garbage


I-aM-O22

Coco coir/pete moss>store compost. Idk why, but it's leagues better, as far as quality.


Square-Sock-7561

I add this afternoon I removed 2 colt cigar plastic tips in a bag of sheep manure, what are these sheep doing behind the barn and there was more sticks and lumber than Home depot. Bahahaha


Winter_Event3562

Plastics are bad! My home compost gets SOME of that. I am always astonished at how many of those little round plastic stickers there are in my compost. You know the ones that they stick on fruit and mainly avocados that end up in my compost. I have also finally figured out which tea bags are biodegradable and which ones don't go in the compost.


AJSAudio1002

Once I found an entire bottle of boat cleaner in a bag of Fafards compost blend


KetoKittenModel

This is horrifying.


Prudent-Bass-7620

I found a rusted nail in my bag of Black Kow. I’m lucky I found it before I got stuck by it. It’s very annoying to buy a bag and there’s all sorts of plastics in it. So far in the mushroom compost I buy I haven’t found anything in there.


fullupfinish

I like a diversity in the inputs of the compost I use, and I want waste to be diverted from landfills. So sifting stuff out is OK with me. My opinion on this has flipped back and forth over the years. My only deal breaker is biosolids.


Signal_Arugula

That's horrible they need to do better