Bin liners? Or expanding the influencers lens…

A talk show on a food channel discusses tips on keeping a clean house. The subject moves to trash bins. The host makes a face and denounces those who don’t line their bins with plastic garbage bags.

Many seeing her will be influenced to add a roll of trash bags to their weekly grocery list. They will be shamed into thinking that if they are currently not lining their bins they are running an unclean house.

Imagine a country of 200 million people. Let us assume that on average a household is made up of five people. And that each household is the proud owner of one thrash bin. Also, let’s assume daily garbage collection and an implicit understanding that the trash bin needs emptying every day regardless of how full it is, for fear of being labelled dirty.

This results in 40 million bin liners that end up in the landfill each day. 14.6 billion liners in a year.

From a sustainability point of view, the host’s grimace will have triggered a negative impact for the environment. Where once the homeowner washed an unlined bin after it was emptied, they are now shamed into lining their bins with material that take years, if not decades, to decompose, or break down in micro plastics that cause more harm by entering water sources and food streams.

Don’t get me wrong. I line my bin too. Our garbage collector will not collect the garbage if it’s not contained in a bag. That’s a process or system error. We need better systems. But to reduce my bin liner (reused shopping bags) output , I don’t hand in our household rubbish every day, only when the bin is full. For now, it’s the compromise I live with. More can be done. I’ll be the first to admit it.

Assuming that what I do is practiced unanimously in all the 40 million households and that on average thrash is handed in every other day, trash bin liners disposed are halved to 20 million on a daily basis. Collection once every five days, that reduces it to 8 million. No liner, then there is no waste generated from them.

What is better — a stinky bin that can be washed out, or a landfill full of green, black, and blue thrash bin liners?

It’s a matter of perspective. To what should we be grimacing to?

Beware of what you promote if you are in a position of influence. Research before proposing more harmful ‘cleanliness’ strategies.

Promoting trash bin liners simply adds to our existing waste problems. Look at what is in the trash bins. Single-use plastics. And, not just shopping bags. But the packaging for containing rice, oil, lentils, juices, biscuits, clothes, and almost any item we purchase. Let us find solutions for these first.