People use twine for all sorts of purposes and you likely have some in your home somewhere. Some people use twine in the kitchen, but it’s also commonly used in the garden.
It can be very handy to have twine around because of how it can be used for multiple purposes. If you’re someone who cares about the environment, then you might be hoping that there is an environmentally friendly way to dispose of twine when you’re done with it.
Is twine compostable or is that not going to be possible? The honest answer is that it depends on the type of twine that you’re using.
Keep reading to learn a bit more about twine and whether you can compost it or not. You should come out with a good understanding of what your options are.
Some Types of Twine Can Be Composted
Some types of twine can be composted because of the materials that are being used. Twine is often made out of natural fibers such as hemp, cotton, sisal, and jute.
You won’t have any trouble at all composting twine that is made out of natural fibers. It’ll break down just fine and you’ll be able to use it in your standard compost bin to great effect.
Before you throw twine in your compost bin, it’s going to be important to ensure that it’s made out of natural fibers. Not all twine is made out of natural fibers, and it wouldn’t do any good to try to compost synthetic twine.
If you still have the original packaging that the twine came in, then it should be easy to tell what the twine is made out of. You will be able to find information on the packaging that tells you what is used to make the twine.
Otherwise, you could look up information about the twine if you remember the brand that you bought. This should allow you to see the twine online and get the information that you need to move forward.
Why Composting Twine Is Such a Good Idea
Composting your organic twine is such a good idea because it allows you to make enriched soil that can help your plants. If you’re someone who grows plants in your yard, then you’re going to want to be able to give them the nutrients that they need.
Throwing organic twine in the compost bin will just give you more materials that can be made into compost for your soil. It’s a good way to help your plants to grow healthier and stronger than before.
Many gardeners have taken to using compost bins because of how practical it is. You’re able to do a good thing for the environment by not adding certain things to landfills while also helping your plants.
If you’d like to start composting, then making a composting bin is very simple. It doesn’t take a lot of effort, and you’re going to enjoy the results once you’re done.
Synthetic Fibers Can’t Be Composted
As you likely understand, synthetic fibers cannot be composted and you’ll just have to throw out twine that is made of synthetic fibers. There are many different types of twine that are made of strong synthetic fibers, and this means that there’s a chance that the twine you’ve been buying is synthetic.
It’s unfortunate to find out that you’ve been using synthetic twine when you wish to dispose of things in an environmentally friendly way. You won’t be able to compost this type of twine, and it’ll be easier to just throw it in the garbage with other items when you’re done with it.
Most commonly, synthetic twine will be made out of polyester and polypropylene. If you wish to avoid using synthetic twine in the future, then you should pay close attention to the type of twine that you’re purchasing at the store.
Take a few moments to read the packaging to ensure that the twine that you’re looking at is made out of natural fibers. Doing so will be the best way to know that you’ll always be able to compost your twine.
You can also do this when you’re shopping online for products quite easily. It should be possible to look specifically for twine that is made out of organic materials no matter where you’re shopping.
Synthetic Twine Might Be Able to Be Recycled
Even if you can’t compost synthetic twine, it’s still possible that you might be able to recycle it. Polypropylene items can often be recycled, assuming that your area has some type of recycling plant.
In many places throughout North America, there will be regular recycling pickup. In fact, some places make it mandatory to recycle plastic items and other things rather than putting them in landfills.
This means that you won’t have to feel quite so guilty about using synthetic twine moving forward. However, it might still be better to use items that can be composted since the creation of synthetic items is still bad for the environment.
Regardless, just knowing that recycling is a possibility is going to be a very good thing. The only potential problem is that there are parts of the United States that don’t have recycling plants nearby.
If it’s very hard to recycle synthetic twine in your area, then you might be out of options. In this situation, you might need to simply dispose of the synthetic twine as normal due to not having a choice.
Now you understand what types of twine can be thrown into compost bins and which will have to be recycled. It’s not that hard to understand, but you do need to pay attention to the materials that are used to make specific types of twine.
You’ll be able to be more observant when purchasing twine in the future so that you can buy twine that is compostable. It won’t be hard to get good results and you’ll feel good about doing your part for the environment.
Hopefully, you’ll be able to recycle any synthetic twine that you have in your household as well. Just look into it and you might be happy to hear that there are recycling options in your area.
I have two Associate’s degrees, one in Medical Assisting and the other in Computer Technician, and I am roughly five classes from a bachelor’s degree. Though I never ended up working in the medical field, I have five and a half years of experience in IT. I recently became a stay-at-home mom to my two young boys, and I’m so excited to start this adventure with them! In my spare time, I love to bake and read pretty much anything I can get my hands on.