If you swapped your bin at the Durham Farmers’ Market in September, you may have noticed a change in your compost routine. The ReCollective is piloting an all-paper compostable liner, a step designed to make your experience smoother and improve our operations.
These liners are now in every bin at the market and will soon be available for all OneStop members.
Why Liners?
Liners help keep bins fresher by reducing stains and cutting down on lingering food smells. It’s a small adjustment that makes composting at home cleaner and more pleasant.
Why Paper Liners?
At The ReCollective, transparency and integrity guide every decision. We don’t endorse practices we don’t believe in, and compostable plastics simply don’t live up to the promises they make. Our composting partners agree: plastic-free food scraps are best.
Do I Need to Do Anything Different?
Not really. Keep using your purple bin just as you always have. The only difference: if you pick up a bin and see a liner tucked at the bottom, just pop it out before adding scraps. We welcome your feedback as we continue learning from this pilot.
The Bags Don’t Quite Fit, Is That Okay?
Yes. We tested many bag sizes and shapes, and the humble grocery bag proved best as a liner. While not a perfect square fit, our early trials showed that as food scraps accumulate, the paper naturally molds to the bin. The extra material even helps keep everything in place. We believe this is the best liner for the job, and we’d love to hear what you think.
Share Your Thoughts
This Compostable Liner Pilot is all about learning together. If you’re a market drop-off or One Stop member, let us know how the paper liners are working for you. Thanks for being part of the experiment, and as always, thanks for recycling!
