Trash the Trash Bags?

by Eileen Weber

Longfellow once quipped in a poem that into every life a little rain must fall. So it is, I feel, with plastic. Like everyone else who flexes their Reduce-Reuse-Recycle muscles, I do what I can to rid my life of the offending polymer.

But there’s one plastic item that’s tough to let go of: Trash bags. I use a lot of them. I have three kids and three dogs, two of which are puppies and make a big mess. (If anyone knows where I can find a biodegradable doggie diaper, let me know.)

My answer to the trash bag dilemma has been to purchase the post-consumer eco-friendly kind. I know that at least I’m using repurposed material. But there are two big problems I have with them: cost and performance.

I’ve been using Seventh Generation trash bags for a couple of months, now. I like the concept of using post-consumer material. But too often when I lift the bag out of the trashcan, the top edges break. I feel like the material is flimsier than other brands on the market. I end up using more trash bags with less trash in it to avoid breakage.

However, others may not necessarily feel the same. Of the two reviews posted on their web site, they were both positive. “The plastic felt a little thinner than the last brand of bags we had,” said one consumer, “so I was a teensy bit anxious when I pulled the bag from the trash can—but it didn't rip or leak at all. Which is really all I ask for in a trash bag.”

Clearly, this person did not have the same experience I did. True, I had no leakage problem. (Always a plus.) But, the ripping was the biggest performance issue.

Besides how well a product works, the cost of going green has been a hot topic for many consumers. We want to be responsible and environmentally conscientious, but sometimes that comes with a much bigger price tag. At $4.99 for 30 13-gallon bags, I am spending more for less. I could get twice that amount for the same price if I grabbed Hefty or Glad off the shelf. And, I’m still putting plastic into a landfill every time garbage day rolls around.

It’s one of the biggest ironies. We convince ourselves we’re being green as we stuff our garbage in a big, fat plastic bag where billions end up at the dump. So now I have a trash bag dilemma: Do I continue to use the post-consumer trash bags or do I use the generic brand knowing that at least I’ll be using less of them? It just breaks my little green heart.

Thinking that perhaps it was just this particular brand of trash bags, I bought BioBag13-gallon kitchen trash bags. I also bought Whole Foods’ generic brand 365 Everyday Value 13-gallon drawstring kitchen trash bags.

Lucky for me, today is garbage day so I got to try them out. I like the BioBag. According to their web site, the bags will biodegrade in a controlled composting environment anywhere from 10 to 45 days. Made from corn, these bags deconstruct in far less time than the 500 years or so plastic takes to finally break down.

But I felt the material was also flimsy like the Seventh Generation. But when taking it out of the trashcan, it performed better. Although, the edges never seemed to stay put around the top of the can.

While really only a minor problem, I also don’t like how it’s manufactured. It comes in a perforated roll. Rather than just grabbing one off the top of the box, I have to take the roll out and manually separate them. Essentially, it takes me 2.2 more seconds to grab a garbage bag than it does for another brand. (Please contain your outpour of sympathy.)

I liked Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value drawstring bags. They seemed to have a sturdier material and the drawstring enabled the bag to stay up inside the can. Better yet, they were the cheapest. For $2.99, I got 20 bags. This was certainly a better deal than the BioBag, which was $4.99 for 12. That’s almost 42 cents per bag as opposed to 16 cents for the Seventh Generation and 25 cents for BioBag. In this economy, every penny counts.

Of the three brands, the best bag overall in my experience was the 365 Everyday Value. It was not too expensive and held up to heavy garbage. The drawstring was also helpful for pulling it out of the can and tying it up.

It’s nice to know that there are alternatives that are much better for the environment. But we’re still producing a massive amount of garbage every day and landfills across the country are running out of room.

I can recycle and reuse by buying eco-friendly garbage bags. Now I just have to work on the reduce part. If I could just tell that to my puppies…

Photo courtesy of Flickr.com.

Comments

[Trash Company Martinez]

Environmental issue is always been a good and interesting topic. It portrays the negative aspects of human activity. Global warming is one of the result of it. I do think that if everyone of us has an exact knowledge on how to conserve and recycle things we can fight against it.

[Ashley]

I would say that lots of companies are doing their best to manufacture plastic bags that are better for the environment. In fact, the company I represent, Jig-A-Loo USA, Inc., has recently introduced a new line of plastic bags called EconoGreen that are made from:
100% recycled plastic
100% oxodegradable
100% recyclable.

These EconoGreen bags and drop cloths contain an additive that will completely break down within 2 years after use. Considerably less than traditional plastic bags and especially grocery bags that we often use as garbage bags. Plus, you can't beat the price. An eco-friendly product shouldn't break the bank!

For more information, visit our Jig-A-Loo website!