Plastic weed cover fabric; Plastic in soil and compost

Weed control by covering the ground with a material to  exclude light  e.g. plastic sheet, cardboard and newspaper, old carpets or groundcover fabric is effective, at least for a year or two, saves the  effort of digging and does not disturb the fabric soil. However, using plastic ground cover sheeting may not be desirable if we are trying to avoid plastic  contamination of the soil and water courses. On allotments such sheeting may be used as a weed suppressant on vacant plots and under woodchip paths.

It can also introduce long strands of black plastic to the compost bin. The photo shows strands found in an allotment community composting bin.