Topic: Pool cover update

[isbister]

A few years back I posted a tip about old swimming pool covers (like industrial strength bubblewrap, available in blue) that you could pick up fro free from pool maintenance companies and use for insulating compost heaps etc. Well this worked well for me for about 3 years but now it's starting to disintegrate, so be aware it's not long lasting - still at least it seems to be biodegradable - but what is it degrading to?

[ACE]

I do not think this stuff can be biodegradable, I expect it is just getting brittle like most plastics do with weather and age. I have used it as a  compost cover but only for two years so far. It must have been at least 5 years  old when I got it as it was not an offcut but a full pool cover that was holed and worn out for any more use.

[isbister]

Yes I think you're right about not being biodegradable - it just disintegrates into smaller and smaller bits. Mine was a used one too, probably about the same age as yours - so we can guess that the useful life of a pool cover is no more than 10 years? Outrageous really as (new) they're about £600 a pop...