Compostable Bin Liners & The Exciting World of Renewable Plastics
Compostable Bin Liners may not seem like a romantic or thrilling way to change your lifestyle on behalf of the planet – but they are actually very exciting.
In a world where we have gotten used to soft plastics which take a long time to break down and are messing with our eco-system, there enters a whole new option: Compostable plastics made from renewable plant-based resources.
All of our disposable plastic options at Going Green Solutions are chosen with the belief that: As humans, we need to stop using non-renewable resources. And we are fortunate to live in a time when people are coming up with all sorts of creative and ever-more-affordable options. A wonderful case in point is: Compostable Bin Liners that are made from plant starch and compost quickly back to healthy earth.
Introducing Biotuff Bin Liners
Our Biotuff compostable bin liners are made from starch derived from non-food grade corn and printed with soy-based inks. They are an effective way to line your bins and dispose of your waste without giving another thought to the ultimate fate of the plastic. These bin liners will never clog up a river-way or endanger marine life or wash up on a distant shore. They compost quickly and easily back to nature. In fact, unlike some of the bio-plastic catering ware we supply, which requires high temperatures and industrial composting facilities, compostable bin liners are certified home-compostable. You can line your compost bins with these bin liners, and they merge happily with the other scraps to become compost for your garden.
Compostable bin liners are compostable according to Australian standards which are the highest standards in the world. For a product to be certified compostable to Australian Standards, it has to be proven that during the entire process of breaking down right up through the end product there is no damage to worms or microorganisms.
What sizes do they come in?
The bags come in 8 litre bags for small bins, 35 litre bags for kitchen bins and 60 litre bags for all your truly serious bin needs – and of course the ever-popular compost-a-pooch twin packs for dog waste. For commercial ventures, there are wholesale options from Biopak in somewhat different sizes which you can peruse on our website HERE.
How durable are they?
The compostable bin liners are similar to other bin liners in their strength and durability, however by their very nature they have a shorter shelf life. We recommend that you use your liners within 3 months of purchase.
Can I put the compostable bin liners in my green bin?
Sadly, the answer is… maybe, maybe not. And it’s not the bin liner’s fault. In a world where bags that differ entirely in their composition and compost-ability may look a lot alike, the contractors who empty green bins can’t necessarily tell if a bag is really green or not. To prevent the possibility of contamination, some of them will not accept anything but paper. However, some Shires and municipalities DO accept them, and even provide residents with kitchen caddies and compostable bin liners, to be placed in the green bin.
Isn’t soft plastic getting easier and easier to recycle?
Yes, soft plastic is getting easier to recycle, with grocery stores and other venues providing drop-off points and some Shires allow properly bundled soft plastic in their recycle bins. But you are still buying into non-renewable resources when you use a conventional plastic bag. And of course, a bin liner is never going to get tidied up and shepherded into a recycling facility.
What about degradable or biodegradable plastic?
Well the world of biodegradable and degradable plastics is actually a pretty complicated one as you can read about in our blog post on the differences between degradable, biodegradable and compostable. To make a plastic bag degradable, a chemical is added to the bags so they can break up into smaller pieces over time… so you get smaller pieces of floating plastic that are easier for wildlife to swallow. And this is supposed to be a good idea? At the end of the day, no matter how degradable or recyclable it is… it still isn’t a renewable resource. Compostable bin liners are a great way to avoid the whole tangled mess and make a choice that is unquestionably sustainable.
But will ANYTHING compost in a landfill environment?
We wish the answers were easy! But they’re not. Landfill is made to be as an-aerobic as possible, which means that they shut out air, and nothing breaks down easily in that environment. But everything breaks down eventually – the methane gasses from landfill are from things decomposing. So while compostable bags won’t break down nearly as easily in landfill as they will in a home compost, they will break down as fast as any other compostable matter. In landfill this will be much slower, but ordinary plastic, will definitely not degrade for an unknown timeframe. Anywhere. Also, cornstarch bags are made from annually renewable plant resources. So. A perfect solution? No. A better solution? Yes. Absolutely.
Are they affordable?
Compostable bin liners – and compostable dog bags bags for dog waste – are among our best-selling retail items. More and more people realise that this is a simple and effective way to improve their household’s environmental footprint, and are finding them affordably priced. And remember, every time we buy something that is good for the planet we swell the numbers of people who are making those choices… and the price point continues to lower and make them even more affordable.
Small Steps add up to Big Changes
Small steps in the direction of sustainability, when a lot of people take them, add up to very big changes. Compostable bin liners and compostable bags for dog waste are exactly this kind of small step. They are easy to buy and use, they are affordable – and they are made of a renewable resource that returns easily to a healthy earth. You have to admit, that makes compostable bin liners pretty exciting!
Written by Lucinda Flynn & Elisabeth Bromley
Shop with peace of mind, knowing your choices are making a difference. Let us help you Green Your World – find out more at Going Green Solutions.