Zero Waste Trash Bags

A friend recently asked me about alternative to conventional trash bags and I realized I had never covered the topic. Sadly, there really isn't a thoroughly sustainable option- this friend mentioned she tried compostable trash bags and they disintegrated too quickly to be used. Compostable trash bags are usually made from bio-plastic, which is better than traditional plastic but still comes with its own problems.

Our solution at home to this issue is pretty simple- we don't use any sort of trash bag. I haven't lined my trash receptacles since working toward being more zero waste in 2014 and when Chuck and I moved in together, he quickly saw there was no need for trash bags. I love this option because there is immediately less plastic in the world and it saves the consumer money. We do clean our trash cans occasionally- hosing them down outside with soap if they get stinky, but this is rare. We are able to do this because we have a separate recycling bin, immediately walk any sort of "wet" trash out to the outside trash bin and we compost. (An important note- plastic trash bags should never be used for recycling as they jam up the machines that sort out the various materials. Most refuse companies post this directly on their websites).

My friend lives in an apartment complex that doesn't offer a green waste bin so she is unable to compost at the moment. Composting really is necessary when giving up trash bags so this isn't an option for her. I thought of a few alternatives that aren't perfect but are a step in the right direction:

-Reuse a conventional plastic trash bag over and over again by just dumping your trash in the dumpster or trash bin outside and leaving in the liner until it becomes too dirty to continue using and then replace it (this will reduce plastic but not completely eliminate)

-Use paper grocery bags, old gift bags, large plastic food bags or the bags pet food comes in, etc. as a non-traditional trash bag liner

-Separate your food waste from your trash (a bowl on the countertop or a reusable bag in the freezer, etc.) and just put dry trash in your inside trash bin and dump your food waste into your outdoor dumpster as needed. This is my favorite solution as it's the gateway to composting.

Thanks for reading and please, as always, message me with any questions!