is not about developing a bio-based or recycled plastic bag.
My solution is to stop using big garbage bags and just put it into a garbage bin.
And I just suggested it to my wife and her response was...
"ugh... that sounds like a lot of work... I just woke up Steve, can we talk about this later?"
But here's what the City or Toronto says about garbage collection:
Each bin/bag/item cannot weigh more than 20 kg (44 lbs) or it will not be collected. Ties/bungee cords must be completely removed before collection. All items must fit in the appropriate bins and the lids must closed for collection.
Do you see ANYTHING on that list that requires you to use a garbage bag?
I don't use a bag for my recycling and I used to put my compost in a bin without a bag and that could be messy, but manageable.
So why do we need garbage bags?
I know some municipalities require residents to use specifically coloured bags, but I don't think that's the norm.
Of course there will be times when a garbage bag is necessary, but I think most of the time it's not.
So what do you think, this New Year, can we start the no garbage bag revolution?
Are you with me???? And will you offer me a place to stay if my wife boots me out for taking on yet another planet saving project?
LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!!!
Comments
By avoiding plastic packaging and eating a lot of fruits and vegetables I have very little garbage, not even filling a garage bag once a month. Instead of buying garage bags, I use other plastic bags like mailers.
I either use paper bags which are fine as I compost separately, or I use a plastic mailer bag that I empty into the garbage bin and I reuse this plastic bag over and over.
I stopped using garbage bags for about a year and emptied my garbage directly into the collection bin, both for garbage and food waste. It was empowering for about 7 months. At that point I ran into a couple of issues that eventually led me to abandoning this pursuit but I would start again if there were workable suggestions to resolve:
1. Eventually all of my plastic bins that I used to store garbage in my house started to smell. I washed them, I sprayed with bleach, I used probiotic bin refresher, all the things you would do but my kitchen always smelled like garbage and I found myself replacing the entire bin (which did not seem like a better choice).
2. In the winter, in Toronto, the garbage would freeze in the bins and would not get fully emptied on collection days. They slowly filled up until I had to bring them into the house to thaw, put the contents in bags and take out again.
The manager of the complex sent out an email saying that they want us to use a bag for our garbage. ☹️
We live in the rural area of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and must drive our recycling & trash to a county compactor and recycling center. Unfortunately there’s no alternative to using trash bags. Unfortunately there’s no plastic recycling either, so we’re trying our best to lower our use of plastic containers of all kinds.
I have honestly not really considered this idea before and I am intrigued. But I agree with other commentors that when the trash collection folks go to empty my big trash can, a lot of small or light items could be blown out into yards. Which I would be happy to clean up, but then where does it end? I put it back in the garbage bin and it blows out again… I’m sure there is a solution!
I think this could create a safety issue for our refuse collectors and create more work for them. I think bags are just necessary for garbage collection, but do they necessarily have to be made of plastic? I would LOVE it if there was a way to use your bee pod tech to create a composting garbage bag.
I like this outside of the box (or inside of the bin) thinking! Where I live the the compost bins do not require bags, nor the recycling bins. Granted, the compost bin can get a little “high”, but the lid stays closed and I do have the means to spray it down once in awhile (although apartment dwellers probably could not do so). So maybe this could be done with garbage bins in residential areas. The bins stink whether there is plastic or not…it might be good to review how cities did this in the past. When I was a kid the bins were metal just like the one Oscar the Grouch lives in, and the garbage went into paper bags in the kitchen and then into the metal bin in the alley for pickup. I do think you are on to something…
Desperate times call for desperate measures. I’ll go with whatever will save our planet. We have become so accustomed to convenience and ‘time savers’ that the thought of cleaning a garbage bin (I clean mine with newspaper and a bit of water) is repugnant. Perhaps if we can get over ourselves and do what is best for the collective (including the planet and its creatures) we can raise our consciousness and live a more fulfilled life.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for thinking of this. I have been using biodegradable garbage bags (although they’re not as strong as the conventional plastic ones, but at least I feel like my carbon footprint is a little smaller than it used to be. There are few bags out there made from plant fibers, and it took me a little while to find the one that didn’t split as easily. It would be a good idea to offer this (despite the competition) but I think its the right thing to do. Good luck.