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is it ok to compost in galvanized metal containers? Answered

will galvanized metal containers leach chemicals into composting material intended for garden use



9 years ago

Define "ok".

The moisture will accelerate corrosion of the zinc then steel, which in itself is ok except it destroys the container.

Whether it leeches into the material (future soil) is irrelevant, zinc and iron are not hazardous at these levels but it is a bit of a waste of the container since it will corrode and it took resources and energy to produce the container.

In short, it is a bad idea since the goal can be obtained putting the composting matter right into the soil instead, it wastes a container.


10 years ago

Probably. Galvanized metal has an outer layer of zinc, which is very likely to corrode off into the compost (and then the steel that was underneath the zinc will start to rust). Would the zinc be harmful to your compost, or to the plants you grew into that compost, or to people who ate the plants that grew in the compost? ...I don't know. I wouldn't use a galvanized container for compost myself, but that's because I don't know. Wood (untreated), bricks, plastic, straw bales.... there are all sort of other things you can use to compost in, most of them readily available and reasonably cheap.