With summer fast approaching, I have been busy planning out adventures and activities for myself and my three little sidekicks. One of our favorite things to do during the summer is to pack up a lunch and head to a trail, waterfall or beach. I’ll be completely honest when I tell you that grabbing paper plates and silverware is just easier for our family while we’re out. And now that there are readily available compostable one time use products and compostable bags, I really don’t stress about going this route.
Another preparation we’ve been making this spring for our summer plans is our garden and compost. This year I’ve been learning all I can about composting and how to do it at home as we’ve never done composting ourselves. In our city we actually have the option to bring our compost to a collection site for organic recycling. An absolute must is to have compostable bags on hand. One thing I have learned over time is that if something isn’t available for me to grab at home, I rarely make the effort to go out and purchase more. I kind of forget and then fall back into my old habits. A subscribe option for compostable bags and compostable plates is a HUGE benefit to my family’s healthy lifestyle.
One of the big things I’ve learned over the past year or so is that not all eco-friendly products are also healthy for your home and body. So often something advertised as “green”, “eco-friendly” or even “sustainable” contains recycled plastics. Plastics are one of the worst things I think we can bring into the kitchen and homes, and I try my best to find alternatives that work for my family.
What I love about Repurpose is that their compostable items are plant based and don’t contain plastic toxins. They’re made from renewable resources and are 100% non toxic. This week I’m sharing
- The difference between compostable and biodegradable
- The mission and difference Repurpose is making
- How to use compostable bags and tableware in your home
- How you can try out Repurpose products
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMPOSTABLE BAGS & BIODEGRADABLE BAGS?
In learning all the things about composting and how to create a healthier experience in the garden, I researched what types of bags are best. Now, even if you don’t compost yourself, I learned that you still want to find bags that will actually break down in a landfill. (Did you know that a typical thin bag can take almost 20 years to break down in a landfill).
There were two main groups of eco-friendly bags I found: compostable and biodegradable. They might sound essentially the same, but they’re actually not the same. All compostable items are biodegradable. However, not all biodegradable products are compostable.
Biodegradable bags do eventually return to nature and can completely disappear. But they sometimes leave behind harmful residues from metals and other inorganic components that are harmful to nature.
Compostable bags on the other hand actually create nutrients for plants and break down completely without leaving behind any sort of toxic residue behind.
Some biodegradable bags and products can still take several years to break down in addition to leaving toxic waste behind. Plant based compostable bags will break down relatively quickly and begin fertilizing the soil without any added toxins left behind.
It’s important to remember that much of our waste doesn’t have access to light, air or moisture, which is the recipe you need to naturally decompose materials. By using a compostable bag for your waste, these three elements aren’t as crucial for the breakdown of the materials. It’s just one more way we can take care of not only our home, but our earth as well.
THE MISSION OF REPURPOSE
I can’t tell you just how much I love when a company has an incredible mission and plan. Knowing who the heart is behind a company means so much to me as a consumer. Repurpose has set out to change how we do one-time use products and they’ve not only created healthy items, but they’ve made them affordable.
Plastic and toxins are a huge problem for not only the world, but especially the United States. We’ve gotten into the habit of quick and convenient, which is wreaking havoc on our homes, health and world. What I love about Repurpose is they’ve considered this lifestyle and made their compostable bags and tableware perfect to fit our families.
Essentially you don’t have to change a whole lot in terms of how you do things. You can make small adjustments to habits and then make a better choice in what you buy when it comes to reducing plastic and plastic waste.
Repurpose is a female founded business, which also just speaks to my heart. They are always working to improve their products and find solutions to reduce toxins and plastics in our homes. Because they’ve made solutions that are a seamless switch for many of us, they’re on track to correcting the huge problem of plastic waste.
HOW WE USE COMPOSTABLE BAGS AND TABLEWARE
I am not going to sugar coat the fact that we use A LOT of paper plates in the summer. It’s a go-to for lunches and outings for ease of use. Because I want to keep summer all about our time together as a family, I make the choice to use more “one time use” items to cut down on dishes and cleaning.
You might think that paper plates are all compostable, but of course, think again. Most paper plates have a coating on the outside that’s not only inorganic, but can be toxic. It keeps the paper portion of the plate from getting saturated with liquid and makes the plates more durable.
This also makes the plates less likely to break down quickly, which means more time in the landfill. Instead, Repurpose has compostable plates that not only break down, but breakdown completely, giving the soil nutrients. I was a bit skeptical at first, wondering if these plates would really hold up without that barrier. But I was MORE than pleased to see that they were not only durable for food use, but they were well designed with an edge to keep my kids’ food from rolling onto the ground.
Another item you just can’t beat are the compostable bags. They’re completely toxin free and leave ZERO residue behind, meaning you can safely add them to your compost. This also takes away the messy part of composting. Simply take the whole bag of organic waste and food scraps without needing to pour it in. It’s also great if you have a local composting site.
And if you’re wondering about how durable the bags are (like I initially was), you’ll be impressed. I had no problems with breakage or ripping with these bags like I have with other biodegradable options. It’s definitely a high quality product with a huge impact.
The list of items that Repurpose has created to solve the plastic problem in our world continues to grow all the time. The items we love most are their cups, bowls, plates and bags. But you can also find straws, cutlery, toilet paper and paper towels too.
Another thing I absolutely LOVE is that they offer a subscription option so you’ll never run out. I mentioned it before, but one thing I’ve learned is if healthier products aren’t readily available to me, I often forget about them and fall into old habits.
HOW YOU CAN TRY REPURPOSE PRODUCTS
As I’ve tried Repurpose, I’ve fallen in love with them. I’ve been so impressed by their products and with the mission and purpose of their overall company. I love supporting businesses that care about our homes and our earth while making it easy for us to change as consumers.
You can try out Repurpose with my 15% off coupon, HEALTHY15, which you can use on any of their products or subscriptions. You can reuse this code when you reorder too. I highly recommend the compostable bags in both the small bin and kitchen size. And of course our other favorite, the compostable plates, come in a variety of sizes too. You can choose whatever works best for your family.
Believe me when I tell you it will be an easy change for you to make and you’ll be making a huge impact on your home and the earth.
