Eco-friendly Garbage Bags: For Cleaner and Greener Earth

Ever imagined the garbage bag you use can be a weapon against toxic plastic! Yes, trash bags made from biodegradable products can secure your future and promote environmental sustainability! Eco-friendly garbage bags are a revolutionary alternative to traditional plastic bags!

Excited to join the mission against non-renewable plastic usage? Learn how you can promote 100% biodegradable alternatives for daily usage.

Eco-friendly Garbage Bags vs Traditional Plastic Bags

People are conventional towards the usage of the plastic bags because of some honest reasons – it is cheap, durable, flexible and versatile. This ubiquitous polymer and its by-products have cluttered up our cities, oceans and made a colossal contribution to deadly health problems in humans and the environment.

In addition to that, traditional plastic bags do not degrade over time and have long-lasting consequences on the environment in a myriad of ways.

Eco-Friendly Garbage Bags
Eco-Friendly Garbage Bags

Fortunately, people have now understood critical flaws of this crucial asset of their lives. As a result of the increased awareness for environmental sustainability, people have started replacing their daily essentials with biodegradable products such as eco-friendly garbage bags and cornstarch cutlery. Let’s learn more about the eco-friendly solution of the plastic bags in the following points below.

1. The Difference Between Eco-friendly Garbage Bags and Plastic Bags

Typically, recycled plastic or materials derived from plants are used to make eco-friendly trash bags. While recycled plastic bags don’t degrade any differently from regular plastic, they can foster a more vibrant market for recycled plastic and use less virgin resources, which can help cut down on waste in general.

If  they are decomposing under the right conditions, plant-based materials typically leave behind less greenhouse gas and harmful compounds leaking into the soil in which they decompose. Meanwhile, the extraction of fossil fuels to make plastic will have an effect on the air quality or water quality of the area in which the extraction happens, often inhabited by disadvantaged communities.

2. What Are Eco-friendly Plastic Bags Made Of?

The eco-friendly bags are made from renewable resources such as cornstarch, sugarcane bagasse and cassava roots. Polylactic Acid (PLA), PolyHydroxyAlkanoate (PHA), and novel new materials like Notpla, a seaweed-based solution, are examples of bio-based plastics. These bags are completely biodegradable and do not harm the environment in their entire life-cycle.

Gladly, many businesses around the globe are encouraging the use of these eco-friendly bags during their promotional campaigns. The promotion of bags made from biodegradable products gives a definite boost to the image of the companies or organizations.

3. How Do Garbage Bags Affect The Environment?

Most garbage bags are made from Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), which is manufactured using non-renewable fossil fuels. Plastic trash bags can break down into microplastics, which are damaging marine life, poisoning the oceans, and finding their way into our food chain. Meanwhile, eco-friendly bags are designed to decompose gradually and not harm the environment.

The Reason Why Using Eco-friendly Garbage Bags

The population of the planet is growing exponentially. More waste results from more people. More waste equals more bags of trash, which could be problematic. Here are the major justifications for using eco-friendly rubbish bags in order to create a cleaner and greener planet:

Man Throwing Out Black Eco-friendly Recyclable Trash Bag
Man Throwing Out Black Eco-friendly Recyclable Trash Bag
  • These are Green Garbage Bags and Made From Agriculture

Eco-friendly garbage bags are made from cassava (a root vegetable) and other natural resins. These bags are often considered as earth friendly and green bags since they do not harm the environment in any way in their entire life-cycle.

  • These are Recyclable

These biodegradable garbage bags are recyclable, i.e., waste collected from using these garbage bags can be recycled to make another product.

  • These are Biodegradable

Eco-friendly garbage bags are completely biodegradable i.e., they are capable of undergoing decomposition by microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria and algae under natural conditions.

  • These are Compostable

Eco-friendly black garbage bags are subjected to degradation when given to composting. They yield carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds and biomass under commercial composting conditions. They do not leave any visible, distinguishable or toxic residue behind.

How Can Eco-friendly Products Replace Plastic?

Avoiding plastic can be difficult in our plastic-heavy environment. But it’s getting easier to find alternatives to everyday products like plastic bottles and packaging, which is great news for our plastic-polluted planet. The development of eco-friendly plastic may be the future of our planet, much like the development of technology.

Eco-Friendly Garbage Bags
How Can Eco-friendly Products Replace Plastic

Let’s look at some environmentally friendly products that can supplement or even replace traditional plastic in the list below.

  • Bioplastics

Bioplastics are plastics that may be composted or biodegraded and are created from natural materials rather than petroleum. The objective is to replace the hazardous plastics in our food and around our homes with these new, eco-friendly ones.

  • Glass

Glass is inert, affordable, and eternally recyclable despite not being biodegradable. Additionally, since many foods are packaged in glass, repurposing glass jars as food storage is a free method to update your food packaging.

  • Platinum Silicone

Food grade platinum silicone is flexible and strong because it is mostly made of sand. Because it can withstand heat, you can boil, bake, and cook with these products without worrying about denaturing them.

  • Beeswax Coated Cloth

Beeswax-coated fabric is simple to use and straightforward to clean, making it a popular alternative to plastic wrap and plastic bags. And it smells wonderful.

  • Bamboo

Do you know that plastic can be replaced by bamboo? This material quickly expands renewable resources in products like dinnerware and drinking straws. It is biodegradable, strong, and lightweight.

  • Wood

Wood from sustainably managed forests can take the role of plastic in everyday home items like cleaning brushes, kitchen utensils, and cutting boards because it is a renewable resource.

  • Pottery

Pottery and other fired ceramics have been used for millennia as dinnerware. They are stable, waterproof alternatives of plastic household products.

  • Paper

Many items used to come packaged on plain paper in the past. Paper can’t be recycled endlessly because every time it is used again, the fibers get shorter, limiting its utility, even though it is better than plastic. Fortunately, you can safely compost any paper in your home.

  • Cardboard

To save waste, several businesses are increasingly packing their goods in plain cardboard. Additionally, you can use cardboard boxes in your home in place of storage bins. If the cardboard is not covered in plastic, it can be completely composted at home.

Types of Eco-friendly Garbage Bags

Based on how they break down over time, there are several types of eco-friendly trash bags.

1. Biodegradable Plastic Bags

These plastic bags have the potential to degrade biologically, producing a variety of byproducts like methane, carbon dioxide, water, and biomass. Microorganisms are crucial to this process since they rely on them for food and energy.

2. Compostable Plastic Bags

Like biodegradable plastic bags, compostable plastic bags are also decomposed by bacteria. These, however, are utilized to make compost. Composting is particularly advantageous since it improves soil fertility.

How To Tell If Plastic Bags Are Eco-friendly?

Biodegradable environmentally friendly plastic bags often decompose in a compost bin within a few months as opposed to thousands of years in a landfill. Since biodegradable plastic bags are produced from corn, potato, or polyester, they will feel “soggy” to the touch.

Holding Eco Plastic Garbage Bio Bags
Holding Eco Plastic Garbage Bio Bags

In addition, you can refer to the biodegradable emblem on the bag, which is typically visible on the side or front, when inspecting it. Another way is to search for the “OK Compost” and “Compostable” logos, which attest to the certification of biodegradability.

The Problem with Eco-friendly Plastic Bags

It is frequently asserted that biodegradable plastics are environmentally friendly and sustainable. However, not all biodegradable plastics actually decompose completely. This is due to the fact that durable plastic bags are typically still made using fossil fuel.

As a result, they also end up contaminating other plastic recycling streams and producing microplastics. Here are some issues that may caused by eco-friendly plastic bags:

1. Microplastic Issue

Oxo-degradable plastics have the drawback of being known to break down into tiny pieces known as microplastics, which, when consumed by animals, can gradually move up the food chain.

2. Recycling Stream Contamination

Don’t mix eco friendly plastic with conventional one, since it can impact the traditional recycling system. In fact, recycling post-consumer plastics is severely hampered by degradable chemicals that weaken goods or reduce the usable life of durable polymers.

3. Fossil Fuel Supply

Since oil is also used to make biodegradable plastics, they contribute to the depletion of a limited supply of fossil fuels. At every level of production, the use of plastic and the extraction of fossil fuels contribute significantly to pollution and climate change.

Final Thought

Ecobags not only recycle waste materials but also do away with the need for single-use plastic bags, which have been shown to be bad for the environment. It is evident that eco-friendly garbage bags are a viable and sustainable alternative to reduce the pollution caused by harmful plastic garbage bags.

Man Pick Up Plastic Bottles To Put Garbage in Black Garbage Bag
Man Pick Up Plastic Bottles To Put Garbage in Black Garbage Bag

Despite its pros and cons, eco-friendly trash bags still become the better solution to reduce plastic usage, making a cleaner and greener Earth in future. In addition, they promote environmental sustainability and help in improving Earth’s environment.

Be the steward of what you have you have been entrusted with! Join the mission to protect Earth’s environment and save it for the future generations!


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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Are compostable garbage bags bad for the environment?

Instead of harming the environment, a compostable garbage bag is the ideal solution to reduce the usage of petroleum based plastic. In comparison to conventional plastic which takes hundreds of years to decompose, compostable garbage bags can be faster to compost and leave no toxins.

Why are compostable garbage bags so expensive?

Due to the higher cost of raw ingredients, their decreased availability, and the higher cost of production procedures with smaller batches, compostable plastic bags cost more than standard plastic bags. If they can do mass production in the future as the demand increases,  the price will definitely be more affordable.

Are biodegradable bags worth it?

Yes, they are! Just like a great investment to our planet, using biodegradable bags can be a small step to protect nature. The use of biodegradable plastics is preferable because they degrade quickly, may be absorbed by the soil, and can even be turned into compost.

Furthermore, even if a total breakdown does not take place, it is simple to reduce the amount of area needed to get rid of the world’s plastic waste.

How to reduce the plastic trash bag usage?

There are some ways you can reduce plastic usage. Start to use recyclable containers for your food. You can use glass or wood material instead of conventional plastic. In addition, using eco-friendly plastic bags made from plants also can be a great alternative to reduce plastic pollution. When you go shopping, you can also use a reusable bag or container to cut down on the number of throwaway bags you use.

How long does eco-friendly garbage bags take to break down?

The amount of time it takes for compostable bags to totally break down varies depending on the temperature they are exposed to. According to TheEcoHub,  compostable bags will take around 90 days to break down.

Biodegradable plastic bags can take anywhere from a few months to a few years to completely decompose if they aren’t placed in an environment that is populated by microbes to speed up the process. On the other hand, conventional plastic bags take hundreds of years to completely degrade.