Our city composts the autumn leaves. There is not much likely input of anything noxious, though there is the nuisance of occasional pieces of plastic bags and some big chunks of clay from when the blades of the mixing dozer go too low.

The zoo composts elephant, giraffe, and zebra manure, and possibly some of their hay or wood chip bedding and litter. Except for occasional to rare medicines I see little to worry about here too.

Healthy compost is undoubtedly growing some antbiotics on its own so I don't worry too much about those. The arsenic that went into chicken food and medicine is a different matter. Heavily sprayed or treated grass (e.g., golf course) would give me concern about using clipping for compost or mulch for food plants, true, though possibly not for ornamentals.

Do not lump all compost makers or compost into the same category. Certainly there are those organisations that are just trying to get rid of 'stuff'. But there are some that really really try to make a good product.

Lloyd

That the market has always been a "Let the buyer beware" operation each of us must pay close attention to what we do buy. I am greatly suspicious when one of the major food marketers suddenly is marketing "organic" anything and I do not purchase any "organic" food at my local superstore prefering to go to the local Organic Farmers market, and buy from people that grew the products I am purchasing.

Perhaps some of the problem comes from the lack of clear standards for compost, compared to the Europeans.