The Pros & Cons Of Compostable Trash Bags + 4 Options To Shop
We hear a lot about the importance of making less trash, but what about the bags we throw it in? Here's a primer on some more eco-friendly alternatives to plastic trash bags.
Advertisement
Biodegradable vs. compostable bags.
The typical trash bag is made of strong, stretchy polyethylene—the world's most widely used type of plastic1. Often derived from petroleum or natural gas, these bags linger in the environment for hundreds of years, if not longer. "Compostable" and "biodegradable" bags are often marketed as eco-friendly alternatives.
While those two terms may sound interchangeable, they're not exactly the same. If a bag is biodegradable, it means that when left in a totally natural environment, over time it will eventually start to degrade with the help of biological helpers like bacteria or fungi.
While certainly a nice idea on paper, the term doesn't say anything about how long this process takes to happen, so it's a bit vague and leaves room to be abused or misused as greenwashing.
If a bag is compostable, it means that it will break down in a very specific set of controlled conditions within a certain amount of time, without leaving any toxic residue in the environment. While this term can also be misused, it's more strictly regulated.
Compostable bags are usually made from plants like corn or potatoes instead of petroleum. If a bag is certified compostable by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) in the U.S., that means at least 90% of its plant-based material completely breaks down within 84 days in an industrial compost facility.
"All products certified by BPI are tested in independent, accredited testing labs," a company representative tells mbg. "Those test results are then evaluated by a third-party technical reviewer." Nearly 12,000 products are now third-party certified by the BPI and carry its signature leaf-and-tree seal.
If you're looking for a trash bag that can quickly return to the earth after you're done with it, that's the seal to look for.
Advertisement
So compostable trash bags are good for the environment?
The answer to this one is less cut-and-dried than you might think since a compostable bag is only compostable in certain places.
Industrial compost facilities create the ideal conditions (hot, moist, and well-aerated) for these bags to break down quickly and without a trace.
Though it's important to note that not every industrial composting facility will accept these bags: "Some [facilities] are completely fine with compostable bags. Others don't want it because it can open the door for contamination with noncompostable bags," Alyssa Eiklor, an environmental analyst at the waste management division of Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation, previously told mbg.
So check in with your local composter before sending them bags they can't use. If they don't accept them, they'll have to ship them off to the dump, where they won't degrade nearly as quickly.
This is where things get complicated: When a compostable bag is tossed in the landfill, it's starved of the oxygen it needs to break down. Instead, it just sits there and can stick around for a similar amount of time as that plastic garbage bag. (Though it still took fewer fossil fuels to create in the first place, an environmental plus.)
This means that to function as designed and marketed, compostable trash bags actually need to be filled with compost (organic food and yard waste) and not trash (everything else).
They also need to be disposed of properly: If they end up as litter, research shows that they will not biodegrade in the natural environment, at least not within three years2.
Can you compost them at home?
Most likely, no. At-home composters usually find these bags tricky if not impossible to work with: Since they're designed for an industrial site, they'll take a long time to break down in a backyard heap (if they do so at all).
Advertisement
Pros & cons of compostable bags:
Pros:
- Break down quickly in industrial compost facilities
- Not made from fossil fuels
Advertisement
Cons:
- Often made of resource-intensive crops like corn or potato starch
- Often thinner than plastic bags, they can leak if you overfill them. (Storing yours in the freezer will help prevent this.)
- Tend to be more expensive than conventional plastic bags
The best compostable trash bags.
Now that you know a little more about what compostable bags are made of and how they work, here are some options to shop:
Advertisement
1. Best budget: Primode 100% Compostable Trash Bags
These cornstarch bags are certified compostable by BPI. They come in multiple sizes, with their 2.6-gallon size being ideal for countertop compost bins. They're affordable and have thousands of five-star reviews for their thickness and sturdiness (read: no leaks here).
Primode 100% Compostable Trash Bags ($14.95 for 100 bags)
2. Best for pet waste: Doggy Do Good Compostable Dog Waste Bags
Also made from cornstarch, these smell-proof bags are designed with pets in mind. They come in an easy dispensing recycled box, and reviewers report that they're extra thick, leakproof, and easy to open for those moments when your cat or dog has just gotta go. Most industrial composting facilities don't accept pet waste, though, so these are usually destined for landfill.
Doggy Do Good Compostable Dog Waste Bags ($24.98 for 60 bags)
3. Best large size: Unni 100% Compostable Trash Bags, 13 Gallon
If you are using compostable bags for your normal, landfill-bound trash (again, these will be more planet-friendly in the sense that they're not made of plastic, even if they don't break down right away), Unni's 13-gallon size is a popular pick. The BPI-certified bags are corn-based and sturdy. They also come in a drawstring option for easier handling.
UNNI ASTM D6400 100% Compostable Trash Bags, 13 Gallon ($18.95 for 50 bags)
4. Best materials: If You Care Compostable Trash Bags
Since the potatoes used for If You Care's BPI-certified bags are not grown to be eaten, they require less water and don't have to be managed as closely. The company claims that in addition to being better for the environment, this also makes them a sturdier bag material, interestingly enough.
If You Care Compostable Trash Bags ($6.31 for 30 bags)
Compostable trash bag alternatives.
While compostable trash bags are a better waste management solution than plastic, they're not perfect. If you're looking for a bag for your compost, unwaxed paper bags should work too, and they're easier to break down in an industrial or backyard facility. For landfill-bound trash, bags made from recycled plastics are also an option that's a cut above conventional.
The bottom line.
Compostable trash bags are made from plant matter instead of petroleum, but they usually only break down in very specific conditions. At the end of the day, the most eco-friendly thing you can do on the trash front is throw out less stuff (and cycle through fewer bags) in the first place. Get started reducing your household waste with these approachable tips.
Emma Loewe is the Sustainability and Health Director at mindbodygreen and the author of Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us. She is also the co-author of The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide To Ancient Self Care, which she wrote alongside Lindsay Kellner.
Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,000 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes. She's spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes.