Corn Starch Trash Bags: Are They Really Better for the Environment Than Plastic Trash Can Liners?

Within the past couple of years, the janitorial supply industry has stepped up its efforts to promote "ECO-friendly" products to their clients. The reason this change in sales tactics has been instigated is that their client's business' efforts have demanded more and more concentrated efforts toward creating less of an environmental "footprint" while doing business. In order to keep their local customers happy, businesses today are seeking better methods of doing business while promoting better goodwill for their company name, by promoting their efforts to improve the environment in how they conduct their business.

One such product that has recently grabbed the highlight reel as an "ECO-friendly" product has been Corn Starch-based trash can liners. Corn Starch trash can liners are being promoted throughout the industry as a trash can liner that will "break down" in a land fill, thereby reducing the environmental impact most trash can liners create when they are buried in the local landfill. Most janitorial supply vendors endorse wide distribution and use of this product, because corn starch is a "natural product" that will bio-degrade back into the soil.

For the most part, the comments used to promote the use of Corn Starch trash can liners as an "eco-friendly" product are false. Most Corn Starch-based trash can liners are made of corn starch, which in and of itself is a bio-degradable product. However, in almost all cases, Corn Starch-based trash can liners still contain at least 75% plastic resins, which do not break down into their component parts within a landfill. A trash can liner will not retain its resiliency and strength if the product were made with any less plastic, which would thereby defeat its purpose of serving as a useful trash can liner. On the other hand, residual plastic resin waste from the production of trash can liner are used as the primary ingredient of windshield washer solvent, which is one of the most deadly chemicals on the market. One swallow of windshieldwasher solvent would lead to certain death in fifteen minutes for the average individual.

As a result, the janitorial supply vendors might be accurate in saying their new trash can liners are better for the environment or more "eco-friendly" than the bags counterpart predecessor, the old plastic trash bag liner. However, the environmental impact of a plastic trash can liner made with 75% plastic resins is not a substantial difference maker from the old trash can liner most businesses have been using in the marketplace for years.

Most janitorial supply vendors go one step further in their effort to endorse their customers' use of the "eco-friendly" Corn Starch-based trash can liner product, by charging their clients more money for it with the justification that "a few more dollars is worth the effort".

I would recommend we all save our money and not buy the Corn Starch-based trash can liners. If a company wants to improve its environmental
"footprint" by eliminating or reducing its use of plastic trash can liners, I would recommend using old paper grocery bags or paper compost bags as their trash can liners. A paper bag will break down into its component parts on its entirety, in far less time than part of a corn starch-based plastic liner ever would. As a best bet, brown bags are more environmentally safe, because it removes the colored paper dye as well.