Garbage cans for used mats - smell ...

[Diana Cda]

Hi, guys!

I've been sprouting for some time now via flats (sunnys and pea shoots and now trying wheatgrass).

I have a galvanized metal garbage kind, the usual kind that people usu. have outside. I keep it in my bachelor apartment on a small rug and I've lined it with a black garbage bag. In that I place another black garbage bag which I put the used mats in. (Unfortunately, I live in an apartment and have found no other way to deal with this issue.)

The only thing that I'd like to fix is to figure out how to deal with the slight moldy smell that the garbage can has as I keep the mat bag in there until it's full. I suppose it could either be a spray solution or putting some sort of fragrant sachet along the lines of a potpourri type of sachet but wondering what is best.

I don't want to buy a commercial product, I'd rather have a solution that I just mix something up and put it inside.

Anyway, any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[MysticTree]

Would it be possible to have a wormery or do you create too much veg waste?

Is there a composting collective anywhere near you?

Failing a method to recycle this waste I suppose you could sprinkle salt onto each layer as you create it in the bin. hat might keep the mould smell down.

[Diana Cda]

Would it be possible to have a wormery or do you create too much veg waste?

Is there a composting collective anywhere near you?

Failing a method to recycle this waste I suppose you could sprinkle salt onto each layer as you create it in the bin. hat might keep the mould smell down.

Hi, thanks. Great questions all.

The used sprouting mats are too numerous and there isn't a wormery anywhere near. Even if there were, taking 1-2 full garbage bags a week by bus (esp. in winter) seems like it would be a big challenge <sigh>.

No composting collective either. I'm keeping my ears and eyes open and will take advantage of any opportunity that comes along in the future but so far, this seems only way to get rid of the used mats.

The inner bag doesn't need anything, so sprinkling each layer isn't really necessary. It's always seemed that it would best to resolve this by putting something in between the garbage bag and the "lining" that I made by putting in a slightly larger garbage bag and securing it in such a way that it doesn't slip out when I remove the full inner bag. I close that inner bag with the waste with a metal spring clip and that does the job very well. It's just that I then close the can and despite it being plastic, the moldy smell has come through to the lining and can itself and it smells even when empty with just the lining. It's okay for me but I had people in today and had to make sure I kept the can closed even though I was emptying flats into it today.

Anyway, thought of using some sort of approach like a potpourri-filled sachet but not with potpourri - I'm thinking charcoal might help but what else ... ?

Anyway, maybe others have ideas. These are the types of troubles we run into with urban gardening, eh ... ?

[MysticTree]

well I actually go out of my way to collect guinea pig bedding for my compost heap so maybe you could advertise and someone would collect.

We are lucky here in that if we didn't have our own compost heap, we could put it all out for council collection ... one city sized compost heap!

Salt will kill mold so a salty wash of the bit that smells might work. I am having a bit of trouble visualising your set-up

[DawnD]

I would find a way to store them outside or carry them off a couple times a week. Do you pass a dumpster on your way to work? My grass mats drew fruit flies that are attracted to the mold. I compost so I had no trouble disposing of them. Sorry I can't offer a solution.