Tall Kitchen Trash Bags (89% Post-Consumer Recycled)

You’re already doing everything you can to limit your trash, but we also know that being 100% zero waste is impossible in our current linear economy. So what are you supposed to do with the trash that you do end up with? Say hello to the most sustainable trash bags we could find! Made from 89% post-consumer recycled plastic, these garbage bags are giving plastic waste a second life without sacrificing any of the strength and durability you need. If you’re gonna have to buy plastic trash bags, you can feel good about these ones making their new home in your kitchen.

♻️ Did you know…? For every 1kg of recycled polyethylene plastic we use instead of producing new polyethylene plastic, we reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by at least 1.5kg and crude oil consumption by 2 liters!

A note from Krystina: I hadn’t purchased trash bags in 7 years, but my partner and I tested these trash bags for several months before making the decision to add them to the shop, and we were so happy with them! They work so well you’d never guess they’re made with such high recycled content. However, they don’t have much stretch to them, so we had to spend some care and attention getting them to fit on our trash can that’s tapered and larger at the top than the bottom. But the high recycled content and quality of the bags definitely outweighed this small “inconvenience” for us! If you have a trash can that’s not tapered, you shouldn’t have any issues with these bags at all.

Recycled Plastic Trash Bags Quick Details:

• Strong and sturdy trash bags means no double-bagging or leaking
• Certified made with a minimum of 89% post-consumer recycled plastic
• Drawstring ties mean extra convenience for you
• Packaged in a 100% recycled and chlorine-free cardboard box
• Fits standard tall kitchen trash cans

✨ Prevent trash before it ever makes it into the kitchen trash bin with our best-selling dish soap bars and Veggie Saver Bags!

Why recycled and not compostable or biodegradable?

Let’s be real, “compostable” and “biodegradable” absolutely love to hog the sustainability spotlight. But when it comes to packaging our trash, that’s actually the last thing we want! Contrary to popular belief, landfills are not giant compost piles - they’re actually giant storage pits. Landfills are intentionally designed to keep their contents from biodegrading, and when things do start to biodegradable in a landfill, they produce methane – a greenhouse gas significantly more potent than carbon dioxide.

So when we’re talking about trash bags, it doesn’t make sense to use a “compostable” or “biodegradable” bag that won’t break down anyway. Instead, post-consumer recycled bags help us give landfill-destined plastic waste a second life before finally going to landfill with a purpose. 

Is it a perfect solution? Absolutely not. Rethink, reduce, and reuse always come first. But when it’s time for something to go to landfill, post-consumer recycled is the way to go ✌️

Size

There are (12) 13-gallon post-consumer recycled trash bags in each box.

Materials

These garbage bags are made with a minimum of 89% third-party certified post-consumer recycled polyethylene plastic. The remaining 11% is made from virgin polyethylene for the drawstrings and for color.

Packaging + End of Life

These recycled trash bags are packaged in a 100% recycled cardboard box that can be curbside recycled or backyard composted.

Origin

These eco-friendly trash bags are made in Slovenia. We source them from a New Jersey-based company.

Ethical Guarantees

Cruelty Free
Give-Back Program
Palm Oil Free
Vegan
Woman-Owned

🌎 You care about the planet. So do we.

Look. I get it. It’s HARD to be an EcoWarrior. Someone who cares about the planet and wants the most sustainable products available - from the ingredients to the packaging to the way that product gets to your hands. 

It seems like everywhere we turn, someone, somewhere, is greenwashing us.

But our superpower at A Drop in the Ocean is sorting through the BS, calling it out, and making sure our products are the absolute most sustainable and truly zero waste products we can find.

So on top of all the things we mentioned above about what makes our post-consumer recycled garbage bags so sustainable, here’s a few other things you should know:

• We’re actually practicing what we preach behind the scenes. In 2022, we saved all of our trash for four months, and wrote a whole blog post on it. The tl;dr version is this: in four months, we only produced two pounds of trash. Everything from the packaging our products come in down to the Sharpie we use to write “Fragile” on your box is zero waste to its core.

• We’re an online-only zero waste store - which is highly intentional. It may seem counter-intuitive, but online shopping is actually more sustainable than in-person. I’m a data nerd at heart and I love diving into the research, and there are countless studies that have shown that online shopping is the most sustainable way to get your everyday essentials. Don’t believe me? Check out our whole blog post on the sustainability of online shopping.

• We ship ugly boxes. Your order from A Drop in the Ocean is not going to arrive in a pretty, branded box. It’s gonna show up in a reused tea box, or a donated Amazon box, or maybe even an inside-out Girl Scout Cookies box. All of our shipping materials are always 100% plastic-free and reused as much as possible, with curbside-recyclable paper tape and a post-consumer recycled paper shipping label. It won’t be pretty, but it will be zero waste.

Got more questions about our zero waste products or our practices behind the scenes? Just send us an email! I’m always happy to chat all things eco.