Biodegradable materials are eco-friendly alternatives for reducing solid waste in landfills and environmental pollution in general. An example is the biodegradable garbage bag, which is used to dispose of waste in an eco-friendly manner.
Biodegradable garbage bags are a solution to the widely used plastic bags. Naturally designed to break down completely within a specific time, these bags are far better than conventional plastic bags that take forever to decompose.
What Is a Biodegradable Garbage Bag?
A biodegradable garbage bag is a greener alternative and a solution to single-use plastic bags, which contribute to the global problem of plastic waste.
Biodegradable garbage bags are designed to break down naturally over time. Unlike conventional plastic bags, they have a short-lived existence in the environment compared to plastic bags, which can take hundreds of years to fully decompose.
Biodegradable garbage bags are reliable products for kitchen use to properly dispose of waste. They are made from organic materials and other biodegradable additives that naturally allow the product to reintegrate with the earth.
Learn more: 13 Best Zero-Waste Kitchen Products
What Are Biodegradable Garbage Bags Made Of?
Biodegradable garbage bags are made from plant-based materials like corn starch. Recyclable materials or garbage that have reached the limit for recycling can also be used to make biodegradable plastic garbage bags. The result is an environmentally friendly product that is different from degradable petroleum-based plastic.
Biodegradable garbage bags are composed of bioplastics. These are biopolymers that degrade within a shorter time than biobased plastics.
Although biodegradable plastics require specific environmental conditions—a temperature range of 50 to 60 degrees Celsius (122 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit) and a moisture level of 60 to 70%—for the biological degradation process, biodegradable garbage bags are more eco-friendly than traditional plastic bags.1
Biodegradable garbage bags are composed of materials that naturally break down into biomass, carbon dioxide, and water.
Why Use a Biodegradable Garbage Bag?
Plastic waste is taking its toll on the environment by the day. In urban areas and densely populated areas, tons of plastic waste is generated and not all are recycled to reduce global plastic waste pollution and carbon emission.
We live in a world where almost every item is either wrapped or packaged in plastic, especially in food packaging. The increasing population and demand for more products contribute to plastic waste that ends up in landfills.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), each year, an estimated 11.2 billion tons of solid waste is collected worldwide and the decay of the organic proportion of solid waste contributes to 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.2
The environmental importance of using biodegradable garbage is to reduce plastic pollution affecting the environment and marine species. It’s a sustainable substitute for conventional plastic bags that take centuries to fully decompose.
Biodegradable garbage bags are non-toxic products for waste disposal. They are environmentally safe and do not contribute to landfills like petroleum-based plastics. Plastic bags threaten the existence of endangered marine species. Irresponsible waste disposal leads some species to either ingest or become entangled in plastics.
Switching to a biodegradable material for waste disposal reduces the risk of some animals ingesting or getting entangled with toxic materials like plastics.
Waste Problem across the World- The Case of Malaysia
Irresponsible waste disposal has become a concern of many world governments. The consequences can be quite damaging to humans and animals.
Accumulated waste in the Southeast Asian country of Malaysia has caused significant environmental problems and health issues. If biodegradable materials were used instead of plastic bags, the environmental impact would have been less destructive.
Some parts of Malaysia suffered one of the worst flooding in December 2021. One of the main reasons for the flooding was as a result of clogged drains and rivers due to inappropriate disposal of solid waste.3
The Southeast Asian country’s struggle to maintain proper waste management has been a long-term issue. The Malaysian government had to spend an estimated 40 to 60% of taxpayer’s money each year to manage solid waste in the country.
However, that has not solved the problem of illicit waste disposal affecting the entire country and communities.
According to a research study (Responsible Garbage Disposal Attitudes and Readiness for Usage of Biodegradable Plastic Bags), Malaysia’s waste management has been recognized as the most significant challenge by the country’s Minister of Housing and Local Government. The daily waste generated in Malaysia is estimated at 38,000 tons, of which only 24% is recycled or separated, while 76% ends up in landfills.4
Things to Look for In Biodegradable Garbage Bags
Written words on products can be deceiving. Not all products indicated to be biodegradable are authentic. So, when looking for a biodegradable garbage bag, here are things to look out for.
Bioplastics
Bioplastic products are from plant-based plastics, which are more environmentally safe than petroleum-based plastics. Although this is a more sustainable option than conventional plastics, they create more methane gases when they biodegrade. The best way to properly dispose of these waste bags is to take them to facilities that can properly manage the methane gases.
Learn more: 10 Ways to Adopt a Zero-Waste Lifestyle
Degradable
Degradable products do not mean that they can easily break down in nature. What it means is that a degradable waste bag can neither biodegrade nor can be composted.
You would imagine that the degradable bag can break down easily but instead, it becomes pieces of microplastic after exposure to certain environmental conditions.
Bio-based
Biodegradable bags of this style are more like a bio-plastic that is made from plant materials. The environmental concern is that bags like this usually contain toxic chemicals.
However, if you are eco-minded, look for garbage bags that have BPI certification. Garbage bags with BPI certification are co-friendly and will biodegrade without harming the environment with toxic chemicals.
The Advantages of Biodegradable Bags
A biodegradable garbage bag is a sustainable alternative to plastic bags littering landfills and the ocean. Using these garbage bags in place of conventional plastic bags is environmentally safe and rewarding.
Waste Reduction
We can reduce solid waste by replacing plastic bags with biodegradable ones. Countries around the world are struggling to recycle more and reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and waterways.
For example, in the United Kingdom, over 30 million tons of household waste is generated each year. About 35% of this household waste is garden and kitchen waste.
In a country like the United States with a higher population, it’s estimated that the average person in America throws away their body weight in rubbish every month.5
If the world intends to shrink the amount of waste generated each year, then it’s only wide to use biodegradable garbage bags to reduce waste. Using biodegradable garbage bags that easily break down over time will help reduce the pile of waste at landfills.
Reducing waste in landfills with biodegradable garbage bags is the right step toward achieving a less plastic-polluted environment.
Reducing Global Carbon Emissions
Biodegradable bags are derived from plant-based materials and their manufacturing process generates less carbon emission than conventional plastic bags.
The manufacturing process of biodegradable plastics only generates about 0.8 tons of carbon, whereas the manufacturing process of petroleum-based plastic generates 4 tons of carbon emissions.
Compared to petroleum-based plastic, the manufacturing process of biodegradable plastic reduces carbon emissions by 500%.
Reduced Pollution
Biodegradable materials naturally reintegrate with the earth, where they are consumed by soil and other natural components. They naturally break down without needing any chemical reaction to take place to initiate the decomposing process.
This means less environmental pollution occurs in the open. Being able to naturally decompose within a short time, biodegradable products are easy to recycle without emitting toxic gasses.
Learn more: 10 Ways to Create a Zero-Waste Kitchen
Non-toxic
Biodegradable garbage bags are made from plant-based materials. They are environmentally safe to use indoors to collect rubbish from the kitchen for proper waste disposal.
These eco-friendly waste bags are more sustainable than conventional plastics. The latter is made with harmful by-products and toxic chemicals that cause irreparable harm to the environment.
Conventional plastics are pollutants in landfills emitting harmful substances as they disintegrate.
For example, polyethene terephthalate (PET) is a type of plastic widely used to make plastic bottles for water and carbonated drinks. It’s widely used because of its glass-like transparency and shatter resistance.6
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can attract harmful bacteria or break down to release toxic chemicals.
This is why it’s important to use only biodegradable plastics. They are environmentally safe and naturally break down without emitting any toxic chemicals during the process.
Recycling and Reuse
Biodegradable plastic garbage bags are composed of more natural ingredients, which makes them easier to recycle than conventional plastic bags made from raw materials.
These raw materials plastics are composed of other additives that make recycling difficult.
Can Biodegradable Plastics Be Bad for the Environment?
According to the World Wildlife Fund, biodegradable plastics can be bad for the environment if they are not managed properly. Biodegradable plastics should be properly managed once they become waste to ensure they completely break down.7
Biodegradable plastic is properly tested to ensure proper decomposition is achieved under controlled conditions in a laboratory according to World Wildlife Fund.
The lab test evaluates factors like oxygen levels, ultraviolet (UV) exposure, temperature, etc. These conditions can be controlled in a lab but nature lacks these controlled conditions.
So, it is not 100% certain that biodegradable plastics will biodegrade in the natural world. When biodegradable materials do not disintegrate in nature, they negatively impact the environment, polluting the ecosystem and habitat of humans and wildlife.
Conclusion
Biodegradable garbage bags are reliable products for kitchen use to properly dispose of waste. They are made from organic materials and other biodegradable additives that naturally make them reintegrate with the earth.
Biodegradable garbage bags are environmentally safe to use indoors to collect rubbish from the kitchen for proper waste disposal.
Sources
- Ali Chamas et al. Degradation Rates of Plastics in the Environment. Publication Date: February 3, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b06635 ↩︎
- The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): “Solid waste management.” ↩︎
- Gy R. Hashim et al.: “Responsible Garbage Disposal Attitudes and Readiness for Usage of Biodegradable Plastic Bags.” 2022. ↩︎
- Gy R. Hashim et al.: “Responsible Garbage Disposal Attitudes and Readiness for Usage of Biodegradable Plastic Bags.” 2022. ↩︎
- Daniel Hoornweg et al: “Environment: Waste production must peak this century.” 2013. ↩︎
- Kenneth Marsh, PhD, & Beety Bugusu, PhD: “Food Packaging—Roles, Materials, and Environmental Issues.” ↩︎
- World Wildlife Fund: “Is biodegradable and compostable plastic good for the environment? Not necessarily.” 2022. ↩︎