Biodegradable Garbage Bags: A Dumpster-Free Dive Of Resources
For those who are waste-conscious, biodegradable garbage bags are the ideal alternative to typical plastic garbage bags. These eco-friendly garbage bags are designed to decompose naturally, being broken down by bacteria and other living organisms.
Not adding to pollution, not clogging any sewage, not destroying any habitats — what’s not to like? You might be thinking, “Well, what about recycling?” Unfortunately, only 8.7 percent of plastic is ultimately recycled. A staggering nearly 20 percent of all Municipal Solid Waste landfills are taken up by plastic.
When it doesn’t end up in a landfill, plastic waste can end up in oceans, rivers, forests, and other natural habitats. Thankfully, there’s an alternative: biodegradable garbage bags.
Examples of biodegradable garbage bags
Please note that Amazon isn’t always the best source for purchasing these.
Paper
Manilla hemp
Polycaprolactone (biodegradable polyester)
The benefits of biodegradable garbage bags
Less pollution
Going with eco-friendly garbage bags means less reliance on processes that lead to more pollution. The very creation of a plastic bag itself increases pollution and waste. Plastic, when it comes down to it, causes pollution when it’s made and when it’s discarded.
A cleaner world
So much trash doesn’t end up where it should. Our oceans, our parks, even our backyards (we’ve all seen a plastic bag dangling for dear life onto a tree branch). Plastic garbage bags can take 20 years to finally break down, and, in the process, they spread pollutants into our air and water. Eco-friendly, biodegradable trash bags will be swallowed up by the natural environment and it’ll be like they were never there.
When disposing of your biodegradable garbage bags, be certain that it’s being put into recycling, compost, or wherever is best depending on what it’s made out of. Some biodegradable materials will actually not decompose as well when starved of oxygen deep within a landfill.
How to make the switch
Swapping your standard plastic garbage bags for more eco-friendly ones is relatively easy. Check the bags at the store to see if they include a certification from the Biodegradable Products Institute or BPI.
On occasion, biodegradable garbage bags are going to cost you a little more than what you’re used to. But, if you look in the right places, you can end up spending about the same asusual. Amazon, for example, has 13-gallon biodegradable trash bags for the same price as plastic ones. Other places are sure to cut you equally fair deals.
Waste not, want not
Taking out the trash is simply routine — but by just adding a pinch of mindfulness to our activities and considering biodegradable garbage bags, we can make that little bit of difference to make the world a better place to live. Less pollution, less litter, who doesn’t want that, really? With just a tiny change to our routine, we can make it happen.