Zero Waste Wednesday

Getting Rid of Your Trash Can Liners

Sometimes, trying to limit your waste isn’t about swapping one product for another. Sometimes it’s as simple as deciding there are products you don’t need at all. When you can make one of these changes, it’s great for the planet and for your wallet.

So hear us out: do you really need trash bags to line your trashcan?

If you’re already composting (and if you’re not, click here to sign up with KC Can Compost) then most of what goes in your trash can is probably nothing gooey or icky; it’s just the plastic films and wrappers that are so hard to avoid and so hard to recycle. Maybe it’s the packing peanuts you didn’t have an option to ship without when you ordered yourself some new glassware. Or maybe it’s the tin foil you used for cooking that you couldn’t get totally clean and therefore knew better than to recycle.

So if none of your trash is making your trashcan gunky and gross—why are you still paying for trashcan liners?

We’ve been conditioned to think of this as a household necessity, and if you don’t compost, they have their uses. But for the environmentally conscious composter, all you’re doing is paying for garbage. Trashcan liners are purchased and immediately placed straight into the trash. 

If you live in an apartment with a dumpster or frequently find your trash can has been knocked over, maybe this isn’t realistic for you. A good alternative is BioBags, which we use here at KC Can Compost. These bags are compostable, and if you’re worried about loose trash flying all over your yard and becoming litter, these may be a great way to reduce your waste while still corralling what you can’t avoid throwing out.