Compostable trash bags come in all shapes, sizes, and materials these days – and not all of them are as eco-friendly as the next. Every compostable material used in green trash bags has pros and cons, and everything from strength to odor control depends on the actual contents of the fibers.
Are you curious about the most popular materials used in compostable trash bags these days? Keep reading…
1. Bio-Plastics
Plastic is rarely a green solution, but bio-plastics are starting to show some promise. Depending on the manufacturing process used, bio-plastic compostable trash bags may contain starches that are eaten and digested by microbes before being turned into useful compost.
2. Natural Fibers
Natural fibers from corn, hemp, palm, and other plants have been used in composting trash bags for quite a while now. But the best natural bags are those that you can re-use: cloth diaper bags and even plant-based mesh lawn bags
3. Paper / Wax Coated Paper
Hospitals and sandwich shops have used wax coated paper for decades – you can score the same products at bulk discounts and use them as compostable trash bags for smaller trashcans. Regular paper is great for dry trash and lawn waste (some creative souls make origami liners out of old newspapers), while the wax-coated kind works for just about anything. Make sure to choose only natural wax paper to ensure that it is compostable.
There are more types of compostable garbage bags than most consumers are aware of. You have options!
You may want to experiment with a few different types of compostable trash bags – some green solutions are not as convenient as marketers would lead you to believe, but who ever said that saving the planet was about convenience?
