Many consumers are making the switch from plastic grocery bags to reusable canvas totes, but few families have yet to adjust their habits when it comes to plastic garbage bags. The use of non-biodegradable plastic in trash bags is nearly universal, and may be one of the main reasons that so many people do not compost their kitchen waste. This guide can help earth-friendly consumers to go green with innovative, biodegradable trash bags.
Uses of Biodegradable Trash Bags:
Composting Food Waste
The extremely common use of standard plastic trash bags often prevents families from composting their kitchen waste. Ordinary plastic bags do not break down biologically, even after decades or centuries in landfills, so they are totally incompatible with use in kitchen-waste compost heaps. Compostable garbage bags offer a much greener alternative and can enable cleaner backyard composting.
Ordinary Household Trash
No one likes the idea of their household’s garbage ending up in a landfill for hundreds or thousands of years, but this is exactly what happens when we use standard plastic trash bags. Biodegradable garbage bags break down over varyingly short periods of time, leading to smaller landfills and a cleaner planet. They are much easier on the eco-conscience than the petroleum-based alternatives.
Composting Pet Waste
Pet owners can compost cat litter or compost dog feces safely and effectively, but both of these tasks can be difficult without using trash bags that are compatible with the composting process. Some brands of biodegradable trash bag offer small “pooper-scooper” sized trash bags that are ideal for cleaning up kitty litter and dog poop, making pet-waste compost a clean and easy task.
Top Compostable Trash Bag Brands:
BioBags
A corn-based, fully biodegradable, fully compostable alternative to conventional trash bags, BioBags are a true winner. Not only are they sourced from a totally sustainable, renewable resource (corn), but they have a reputation for being one of the most reliable forms of compostable trash bag. BioBags are available in an almost endless number of shapes and forms, including a compostable bag made just for dog poop!
Eco-Smartbags
A brand of compostable plastic bag made by Repellem, a natural pest-control company, Eco-Smartbags are biodegradable trash bags with a surprising and pleasant twist: they are infused with natural oils that deter pests, including insects, racoons, and mice! Eco-Smartbags are available in a wide array of sizes and are especially ideal for camping, hiking, and picnics.
BioPlastic
Also called organic plastics, BioPlastics are clear and appear nearly identical to standard trash bags, but they are actually made entirely from natural starches. They compost quickly and efficiently, often in as little as 90 days, making them fully compatible with home composting systems. BioPlastic produces no unwanted or toxic by-products, so it is safe in any garden– or landfill.
Natural Value EcoSafe
Sold by Kokopelli’s Green Market, Natural Value’s “EcoSafe” line of biodegradable trash bag stands apart from the norm. Unlike the other forms of compostable “plastic”, EcoSafe is the only one that is truly plastic. It is infused with a proprietary additive that enables synthetic to break down into organic-like material. This makes a stronger, more conventional product than the others, but their selection remains limited.
Making the switch from unsustainable to natural trash bags is easy, and shopping for the right product for your family can be an exciting choice. Biodegradable trash bags can add a new level of “greenness” to your own lifestyle and to the world around you.
