Social Farms & Gardens have teamed up with Natracare, creator of compostable disposable period products, on a new composting partnership that will see Natracare provide hot composting bins to four SF&G women-led members as a pilot scheme in which they will compost garden and food waste, as well as used Natracare period products – the only validated compostable, global brand of disposable period products.
Throughout the ongoing partnership, each group will manage and maintain the hot composting process and monitor the progress of the composting, sharing their progress on their social channels. They will also share the value of community composting, and the benefits that composting period products has for the environment, using the Natracare Composting Guide.
Hot composting generally takes around six to eight weeks to turn green and brown waste into compost that is ready to use on the garden; Natracare period pads take approximately 90 days to decompose, while Natracare tampons take around four weeks to decompose.
Natracare products are designed to have minimal environmental impact in their making, and after use, to be disposed as part of bio-recycling systems, not into landfill. They have been independently tested to EN13432/ASTM D6400 and proven compostable in managed industrial hot composting systems. They are free of heavy metals and other pollutants, and pass Ecotoxicity testing, so that the material produced from them when composted, can be used as a mulch to improve soil, or as a medium to grow fruit and veg.
The community gardens taking part in the pilot are:
- Redcatch Community Garden (Bristol)
- North Wingfield Community Garden (Derbyshire)
- Global Gardens Project (Cowbridge, Wales)
- Transition North Ronaldsay (Orkney Isles)
The Social Farms & Gardens partnership is the latest initiative in Natracare’s recently launched Project #BeKind campaign, designed to draw attention to the need to design health and well-being products for bio-loop systems, and to consider the impacts on wellbeing and our environment, of consumer choices.
Susie Hewson, founder of Natracare, commented: “We’re leading the way in proving that there is a better alternative to plastic-based period products, with our products being made from sustainable sourced, organic and bio-based materials, which also happen to be ideal raw materials for composting. The ultimate aim is to stop compostable product going into landfill. Our goal is to help more communities adopt greener habits and to help people understand the benefits of composting as a way to recycle. We have found a natural synergy with Social Farms & Gardens, whose mission, like ours, is to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities, and the environment, through nature-based activities, so we’re really pleased to be running the pilot scheme with them and can’t wait to see the results.”
Sophie Antonelli from Social Farms & Gardens said: “We have almost 3,000 members all over the UK who care passionately about their local community and environment. Compostable period products are another step towards the closed-loop systems our planet needs, and we’re thrilled that through this partnership with Natracare our members can be a part of that. Many community gardens already have composting toilets, so this pilot feels like the next logical step. The hot bins are going to be such an interesting talking point in the gardens and I’m really looking forward to seeing how they get on”
SF&G's Sophie Antonelli meets Natracare Founder and Director Susie Hewson MBE and some of the team.
Sophie and Susie inspect the new hot composting bins.
The team at North Wingfield Community Garden receive their new hot bin.