Garbage Bag Alternatives That Won't Cost You A Penny

When it feels like every price tag in the supermarket is showing a bigger number than you remembered, you might rethink even the most minuscule of purchases. If you want to penny-pinch and reduce plastic waste in your kitchen at the same time, there's one "must-have" item you can feasibly live without: garbage bags. Store-bought bin liners are certainly convenient, but if you think about it, they are the definition of throwing money away. Tons of homeowners have shrunk their weekly spending and ecological footprint by eliminating them in favor of 100% free alternatives.

For replacements, think of the bags you get for free when you buy things at the store or open goods that come packaged in plastic, like bagged greens, loaves of bread, chips, and bulk items like toilet paper. By putting waste inside those bags and tossing them in the bin, you turn single-use plastic scraps into free garbage liners. This same logic can apply to zip-top bags; scraps from mail or online shopping orders; or even empty bags of pet food or litter. Waste collectors should be able to dump your trash in the truck as usual — everything will just be in smaller bags instead of one big sack. 

To get even more mileage, reduce your trash output by recycling and composting waste as often as possible. Swapping single-use items for reusable replacements, such as by buying reusable food storage bags, and even creatively upcycling kitchenware can stop your bin from filling up so fast.

If you're already living a low-waste lifestyle, you might not have many excess plastic bags hanging around. Some homeowners instead fold old newspapers into trash bin liners origami-style. You can find tons of tutorials online to help you pull this off. This trick is easier to use for small bins, and you may have to use more paper to make a bag big enough for your kitchen garbage. But if you get the newspaper for free, this is a smart and eco-friendly route.

Another popular trash liner alternative is also the simplest: using no bags at all. This method takes the most planning, yet it's also the most frugal. Going bag-free is best for small households, and you'll want to make sure the waste disposal crew in your neighborhood accepts un-bagged trash. For slimy items you don't want to chuck right in the bin, try to compost as much as you can, then use leftover bags or newspaper bags for anything you absolutely must throw away.

Your bin will likely get dirty faster without a liner or bags, but you should definitely be cleaning this smelly kitchen item more often than you think. Some experts say you should wash it every time you take the garbage out, so using no liner barely makes a difference in kitchen maintenance. Again, it helps to reduce your total waste output, and you may want to use a stainless steel trash can for a clean-smelling kitchen.