Taking the trash out seems like such a common household activity, it sometimes goes by without being very noticed.
It’s just like brushing your teeth. You may not know too many things about non-SLS toothpaste.
Have you ever wondered what type of garbage bags you are using?
When speaking of this subject, we usually refer to the material the bags are made of and a few of their characteristics.
Trash bags can be made of plastic or paper. Plastic ones are probably the most common.
Plastic trash bags are also of different types: conventional, biodegradable, or compostable.
Compostable garbage bags are one of the most eco-friendly options. Choosing these products can be really beneficial for your home and for the environment as well.
Benefits of using compostable garbage bags
They contribute to protecting the environment
The problem with garbage bags is related to their number and the impact they have on the environment.
First of all, they are used in great numbers. Imagine people take out the trash almost daily. This results in millions of garbage bags being thrown away on a constant basis.
To be more precise, the entire world uses approximately 500 billion plastic trash bags every year.
The other thing is that most of them are made of plastic. Plastic is one of the most toxic materials for the environment.
Depending on the product we are looking at, we are speaking of different periods of time of disintegration. After they are thrown away, garbage bags end up in landfills. It takes tens or more than 100 years for a plastic bag to decompose.
The same goes for other plastic products.
In the case of compostable garbage bags, things change a little. Compostable means that materials break down into humus, which is an essential substance for the soil. Also, they do not release any toxic chemicals or metals in the environment during this process.
This means that, even though compostable garbage bags end up on the soil (in the landfills), they do not damage it.
Just make sure when you are buying trash bags are compostable. Check for the Compostable logo on the product package.
Great product quality
Compostable garbage bags are great products to have in your home.
You don’t need to worry about them not being good enough for your needs. These products are resistant and eco-friendly.
Because the awareness of the plastic problem has spread, the request and popularity of products such as compostable has also risen. You can now find these bags under different sizes.
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What’s the difference between conventional, biodegradable, and compostable?
I’ve mentioned earlier that there are different types of garbage bags.
I’ve briefly explained what compostable means. In order to understand the importance of it, it’s essential you know what the others mean and what impact they have on nature.
Conventional plastic trash bags
Conventional plastic trash bags are the products you can easily find in many stores. You’ve probably already used them in your house.
The problem related to their disintegration starts when they release dangerous chemicals into the environment. These chemicals end up in the soil, air, and wild waters.
Animals’ health is put in danger because of these chemicals.
Some of these plastic bags end up in the oceans and seas. Here, the problem is that wild creatures can swallow them. This may end up with these animals dying.
Just think about it. 97% of the world’s water supply is represented by oceans and 70% of the oxygen we breathe is produced by marine plants.
With oceans being contaminated by plastic and its chemicals, this is becoming a problem for us as well, as we are also exposed to these chemicals.
Biodegradable trash bags
Biodegradable plastic trash bags are made of a material which breaks down due to microorganisms which decompose the product. During this process, metals may be released into the environment.
This is the big difference between compostable and other types of trash bags.
Compostable garbage bags decompose faster and do not release dangerous chemicals during this process.
It’s not the same with biodegradable and conventional trash bags. Yet, using a biodegradable trash bag can be a more eco-friendly decision than going for a plain plastic bag.
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