Where to Buy Compostable Bags in Greater Houston
If you are environmentally conscious, you probably have some interest in the idea of composting. Composting is a great way to cut down on household wastes, and individuals, families, and businesses can compost inexpensively.
Composting is a process of treating solid waste where microorganisms break down organic material in the presence of oxygen. The organic matter can then be used to benefit the environment; it can be used as a fertilizer for a garden or in farming.
What are compostable bags used for in this process?
What Is a Compostable Bag?
Compostable bags can be useful in the composting process because they are different from standard plastic bags or even biodegradable plastic bags. They are made of vegetable matter, like corn starch or potato starch, and when they are exposed to enough moisture, the bags will compost just like whatever compostable items are placed inside them.
Compostable Bags vs. Polyethylene Bags
Traditional plastic bags, such as trash bags or those found at grocery retailers, can take a very long time to break down. This is a huge problem because many of these plastic bags have been found in the stomachs of marine life and other animals, which can lead to significant health problems for these animals.
Biodegradable polyethylene bags are supposed to be a better alternative, and they do break down faster. However, in various studies with different biodegradable bags in multiple environments, they were still not completely broken down even after three years. These bags can still linger on in the environment the same way that regular plastic bags can, even though they don't stay around quite as long.
Compostable bags can break down much more quickly. The ASTM provides labeling standards for plastics designed to be aerobically composted in municipal or industrial facilities. Since these types of compostable bags are designed to break down within a few months, they are better suited to benefit the environment.
Importance of Compostable Bags
Even after traditional plastic bags break down, they continue to damage the environment by becoming microplastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment. These bags may do damage even after they are no longer visible.
The average American family takes home about 1,500 single-use plastic shopping bags per year, and only about 1% of these are returned for recycling. Over 267 ocean species are affected by plastic bag pollution each year, and there are over 100,000 animal deaths per year due to these types of bags. The solution to this problem is reusable grocery bags and compostable trash bags to mitigate this environmental damage.
Types of Compostable Bags
Compostable trash can liners, compostable leaf bags, compostable yard bags, and compostable grass waste bags are all great options to purchase. These bags can be bought in different sizes from small bats, 2 or 3-gallons, to your ordinary kitchen trash can or for large 33-gallon trash cans as well, which would be ideal for picking up leaves and other yard waste.
Yard Waste Compost Bags
The 33-gallon compostable bags are perfect for picking up leaves and grass from your yard. Since the City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department requires individuals to use approved compostable bags for weekly yard waste collection, compostable bags are necessary to help divert this waste from the landfill.
Food Waste Compost Bags
These come in small 2 and 3-gallon sizes for a small compost bin, but they also come in 13-gallon sizes, which would be perfect for a kitchen trash can. These are also great to cut down on mess for the items you want to put in your compost pile at home since you can put the bag in the compost pile as well as the food waste.
Where to Buy Compostable Bags in Houston
Here is a list of where to buy compostable bags in the Houston area. All these retailers listed have various sizes and brands of compost bags to choose from, and Lowe's, Whole Foods Market, Costco, Randall's, and Home Depot all offer online ordering.
Moonshot Makes Composting in Houston Easy
Moonshot’s composting can make the process easy and hassle-free. We offer a weekly composting service (both pick-up and drop-off). All you have to do is set aside your compostable items in a provided bin and put the bin out on collection day.
The bin is airtight so that you won't be bothered by any bad smells. On collection day, your full bin will be swapped out for a clean one. We supply both the compost bags and the bin. This is incredibly convenient and a way that you can easily help take care of the environment.
