10 Questions You Should to Know about Custom Garden Waste Biodegradable Bags

If you save food scraps for composting, lining your kitchen collection bin with a bag labeled as compostable or biodegradable may seem like a great way to keep it clean and transport all those veggie peels and coffee grinds to your compost heap or municipal dropoff point. However, whether or not you actually need to buy those liners depends on several factors&#;and in fact, many experts say it&#;s better to forgo liners altogether or just reuse paper bags instead.

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Here's what you need to know about compost bin liners, why they may do more harm than good even if they&#;re compostable, and how you can keep your kitchen tidy without them.

What are compostable bags or bin liners?

Compostable bags may look and feel similar to plastic produce bags made from petroleum, but they&#;re manufactured out of plant-based materials, such as vegetable starches, wood pulp, lactic acid, or soy proteins. These materials are designed to be consumed by microorganisms that help them decompose into the soil-like organic substance we know as compost.

The problem is that not all composting systems create the right environment for these bags to fully break down. Typically, only municipal or commercial composting facilities&#;not home composting setups&#;generate enough heat, moisture, and airflow to allow for full decomposition. But these facilities can also differ in their capacities, so even if your food scraps get collected for off-site composting, compostable bags may still be prohibited.

Can I put compostable bags in with my food waste?

It depends. Just as every town seems to have its own set of rules about what kind of recycling it accepts, one composting system may differ from another in its ability to take compostable bags.

The most important thing you can do is confirm with your municipal collection, compost drop-off, or private composting service what kinds of materials are and aren&#;t allowed and then abide by that.

If you are allowed to use compostable bags, your best bet is to look for ones with a logo from the Biodegradable Products Institute, a not-for-profit organization that issues a compostability certification widely considered the gold standard in the US. (You can also check here to see if an item is BPI certified.) The certification relies in part on ASTM International compostability standards to determine whether an item will break down &#;quickly, completely and safely, when composted in well-run municipal and commercial facilities.&#; It also prohibits the addition of per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), which are sometimes used in packaging and can persist in the environment for a very long time.

Can I put compostable bags in my home compost heap?

You probably don&#;t want to, since they likely won&#;t decompose well. At-home composting systems, including tumblers, in-ground composters, and worm towers, typically don&#;t generate enough heat to fully break the bags down. &#;We have experimented with trying to compost these bags in backyard tumblers and did not have much success; they composted somewhat, but definitely not fully,&#; Michelle Bradley, co-founder of Java&#;s Compost, a private composting service in New Jersey, said in an interview.

Can I compost so-called biodegradable plastic bags?

No, you can&#;t. A bag (or another disposable item, like plastic cutlery) that&#;s labeled biodegradable is not necessarily also compostable. In fact, BPI executive director Rhodes Yepsen said in an interview that biodegradable is a word that&#;s &#;too vague to be meaningful&#; as a marketing term on its own without additional context. A manufacturer can call an item biodegradable without specifying that the degradation process could take centuries or require a specific environment to thoroughly degrade. The term also doesn&#;t necessarily mean that the item breaks down into nontoxic components, either; it just means that, sooner or later, it breaks down into something else.

&#;It&#;s not a real thing,&#; at least not in terms of waste management, said New York City Department of Sanitation commissioner Jessica Tisch in a interview. &#;If a product can&#;t be composted, it&#;s going to a landfill. And if it&#;s going to a landfill, the biodegradable stuff in a landfill sits there for decades or centuries.&#;

How can I keep my kitchen scrap bin clean?

Some cities suggest residents use brown paper bags or newspaper as liners for their food-scrap containers instead of buying so-called compostable bags. But as always, if you&#;re participating in an off-site composting program, it&#;s best to confirm if paper bags are accepted. For at-home composting, brown paper bags are a great addition to your pile, since paper goods can improve the nutritional balance of compost.

Stashing food scraps in your freezer is another way to keep things tidy and odor free. Tisch (who opts for this method at home) noted that if you store your compost in the freezer you can forgo a countertop bin altogether; instead, you can use something like an old plastic takeout container, which you can wash between uses.

If you opt for a countertop container, one with a built-in charcoal filter helps reduce odor. (The Oggi Countertop Compost Pail comes with a filter and is a staff favorite.) And, of course, if you take out the bin often and rinse it out after each use, smells shouldn&#;t build up in the first place.

If you&#;re looking for more recommendations about what to do with those scraps after you&#;ve collected them, check out our staff&#;s favorite compost bins.

This article was edited by Katie Okamoto and Christine Cyr Clisset.

Sources

1. Michelle Bradley, co-founder of Java&#;s Compost, interview, September 13,

2. Rhodes Yepsen, executive director at Biodegradable Products Institute, interview, September 19,

3. Jessica Tisch, commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation, interview, September 29,

Here&#;s a list of 21 cool things about Paper Bags compiled from a list of Frequently Asked Questions encompassing everything you need to know about Paper Bags from manufacturing to application and waste management.

1. Are Paper Bags Better Plastic Bags? From an environmental and eco friendly perspective, Paper Bags are better as they are deemed compostable and/or biodegradable and do not add to waste in landfills as is the case with Plastic Bags. From a cost and efficiency perspective, Plastic Bags are cheaper and generally offer more tensile strength to carry weight.

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2. What are Paper Bags used for? Paper Bags with Handles can be used as Shopping Bags for Retail, Takeout Bags for Hospitality and any other application involving goods where a user needs a handle for ease of carrying. Paper Bags without handles can be used for carrying grocery, bottles, lighter products &#; also referred to ask SOS Paper Bags or Grocery Paper Bags.

3. What are SOS Paper Bags? SOS is referred to as Self Opening Satchel Paper Bags. These bags do not have a handle and they usually have a &#;thumb-cut&#; on one of the sides of the paper bags for convenience of opening.

4. Are Brown Paper Bags more eco friendly than White Paper Bags? Brown Paper Bags are generally made with recycled content, sometimes up to 100% recycled content, whereas White Kraft Paper Bags are generally made with Virgin Content which maybe bleached white for presentation purposes. More recycled content implies lesser use of fresh pulp thereby more eco friendly.

5. Is there a difference in strength of Brown vs White Paper Bags? The recycled content in Brown Paper Bags makes the paper bag strength weaker when compared to White Paper Bags which may be made with Virgin Pulp &#; i.e. stronger raw material on it&#;s own.

6. What are the Disadvantages of using Paper Bags when compared to Plastic Bags? Paper Bags unlike Plastic Bags are not waterproof. Paper Bags take more storage space than plastic bags. Paper Bags are more expensive than Plastic Bags.

7. Can Paper Bags be customised with branding and logo printing? Yes &#; all paper bags including paper bags with handles, SOS paper bags and Paper Bags with Windows can be custom printed with the desired artwork, logo, etc.

8. Can you make any size of Paper Bags i.e. any Length, Width or Height? Paper Bags can be made in a variety of industry standard sizes however there are minimum and maximum measurements for each i.e. Length, Width or Height. Standard Sizes are made with Automatic Machines and Custom Sizes which are beyond certain manufacturing capabilities, are generally made manually.

9. How many pounds can a Brown Paper Bags hold? Different sizes and paper bag constructions prescribe different weight carrying capacity. Brown Paper Bags (or Grocery Paper Bags) are generally referred to as their weight carrying capacity in the marketplace. For example: 20 LB Paper Bag implies it can carry up to 20LB of weight.

10. Why are Paper Bags Eco Friendly compared to Plastic Bags? Paper Bags decompose faster than plastic bags and can be recycled/repurposed thereby promoting a circular economy and reducing demand for new raw material to be produced for making new bags.

11. Are Paper Bags Compostable? Generally, yes &#; Paper Bags are considered compostable in an industrial compost unless they have a lining or a plastic film window of any kind.

12. What is better for Paper Bags &#; Composting or Recycling? Given the nature of the raw material and application &#; it is environmentally friendly to Recycle Paper vs Composting it as the Recycled Content can be re-used for another Paper based application vs fresh pulp to be manufactured into Paper. By Composting Paper, it removes the raw material from the supply and demand cycle.

13. How much do Paper Bags cost? The prices vary depending on size, raw material used, production quantity, factory location and plain or custom printing. The average price of Paper Bags from the smallest to the largest can range anywhere between US$0.04 to US$0.90 cents per bag.

14. What are Yard Waste Bags made of? Yard Waste Bags or Lawn Leaf Bags are made of high tensile strength paper sometimes double waled for extra durability.

15. What are Paper Bags made of? Generally, Paper Bags are made of recycled paper which is collected and processed in a recycling paper mill. Unless required, Paper Bags are also made from virgin pulp extracted from trees, which is a renewable resource.

16. What do FSC Certified Paper Bags mean? FSC&#; stands for Forest Stewardship Council. FSC&#; certified paper means that the paper used in the making of paper bags, is made from responsibly sourced wood fiber. It may also include Chain of Custody Certification as per FSC&#; website.

17. Are Paper Bags Reusable? If handled properly, Paper Bags can reused till their construction is intact. You can fold and store unused Paper Bags at home or in office for carrying items when you need to.

18. Where can I buy Paper Bags? End Consumers can purchase a variety of Paper Bags from a supermarket or neighbourhood variety store. Small and Medium Businesses can purchase Paper Bags from a Wholesale Paper Bags Supplier. Large Businesses which may require a large quantity of paper bags or Custom Paper Bags can procure directly from a Paper Bag Manufacturer.

19. What options does one have when ordering Paper Bags with Handles? Paper Bags with Handles including Flat Handle (made with Paper), Twisted Handle (Twine Paper), Die Cut Handle (a D shaped cut to insert fingers inside), Rope Handle or Ribbon Handle.

20. Does one need to have the same color of handles as the color of the Paper Bag? No, you can choose a different handle color from the color of the paper bag.

21. What are the types of Paper used in making Paper Bags? Paper Bags can be made with Recycled Kraft Paper (mostly Brown), Virgin White Paper, White Cardboard, Coated Paper, Offset Paper and Newsprint Paper. Paper Bags are a great alternative to plastic bags as they are environmentally friendly, are able to carry reasonable weight and custom paper bags allow brands to add their logos and other messaging to create a personalized product and allow for advertising opportunities.

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