Is there really such a thing as biodegradable plastic bags?

Although those handy grocery store bags serve a wide array of functions, once they actually make it to the landfill they'll be there forever.

Conventional plastic is made of petroleum - 1.6 billion gallons each year! - one of the only materials on earth that never goes away. Even if it breaks down after being exposed to heat and sunlight, the tiny particles contaminate soil and water, eventually making into the food we eat.

Americans go through over 380 billion bags a year, and only an estimated 5.2% are actually 'recycled.'

The solution?

• Green: Don't just throw them away when you get home. Reuse the bags as a trash liner, littler box liner, etc.


• Greener: Take the bags back to your grocery store. Some stores like Whole Foods and Fry's give customers a nickle off for every bag they bring in to reuse.


• Greenest: Eliminate using plastic bags altogether and bring your own reusable cloth totes.

What about kitchen trash bags?
Manufacturers are making progress with biodegradable plastics that break down into water, carbon dioxide and biomass. However, there's a flaw. The 'new' biodegradable plastics are actually 'oxo-degradable,' meaning they only break down when exposed to air or light, not in an oxygen-deprived landfill.

• EarthSense Kitchen Trash Bags made with 70% recycled plastic, 10% post-consumer


• Seventh Generation Drawstring Tall Kitchen Bags made with 45% recycled plastic, 25% post-consumer
  

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