Summary:
Durability: comparable to other brands
Sustainability: better than other brands
Compostability: better than other brands
Price: comparable to other brands
Introduction
My Eco World is part of one of the oldest biodegradable trash bag companies in the world. Founded in Melbourne, Australia, parent company My Eco Bag is the leading compostable bag producer in Australia. They started creating compostable trash bags 15 years ago and now operate in 20 countries including the US and Canada. They make large and small trash bags and pet waste bags. They also have the most compostable certifications from Australia, North America.
Table of Contents
What are My Eco World Biodegradable and Compostable Bags
My Eco World bags are made from their propriety Cardia sustainable resin. This includes the ingredients:
- Corn Starch: A carbohydrate extracted from corn, used in cooking as a thickening agent and in manufacturing biodegradable plastics.
- PBAT (Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate): A biodegradable random copolymer, specifically used for producing flexible films with good toughness and processability.
- PLA (Polylactic Acid): A biodegradable and bioactive thermoplastic aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources like corn starch or sugar cane, often used in packaging materials and biodegradable products.
Their packaging is 100% recyclable.
Products
My Eco World sells two different size trash bags and a line of Pet Poop Bags. The garbage bags include:
MyEcoWorld Tall Compostable Food Waste Bags:
- QTY: 12
- Liner Capacity: 13 Gal
- Liner Dimension: 30″x24″
- Bag Thickness: 0.91m
- Case Pack Qtys: 13 Gal x 12: 144 bags
MyEcoWorld Small Compostable Food Waste Bags:
- QTY: 25
- Liner Capacity: 3 Gal
- Liner Dimensions: 18″x17″
- Bag Thickness: 0.71m
- Case Pack Qtys: 3 Gal x 12: 300 bags
What certifications do My Eco World Bags have?
MyEcoWorld bags have more certifications than other compostable bags in the space. This is due to their reach in various global markets. The certifications include:
- Bronze Medal EcoVadis Sustainability Rating – EcoVadis is the world’s largest and most trusted provider of sustainability ratings.
- North American Standard for Municipal and Industrial Compostability – Independently verified by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) to be industrially compostable in compliance with ASTM D6400.
- Australian Standard for Commercial Composability – Independently verified by the Australian Bioplastics Association to be commercially compostable in compliance with AS4736.
- Australian Standard for Home Composability – Independently verified by the Australian Bioplastics Association (ABA) to be home compostable in compliance with AS5810. This standard is even more stringent and difficult to meet than the commercially compostable standard due to the more variable conditions of home composts.
- European Standard for Commercial Composability – Independently verified by Din Certco to be industrially compostable in compliance with EN13432
- European Standard for Home Composability – Independently verified by Din Certco to be home compostable in compliance with NF T51-800
- GMO-Free – Made with 30% GMO-Free Corn Materials
- TÜV Austrian OK Compost Home Compostability
How long do they take to compost?
The composting time for My Eco World bags varies depending on the composting conditions. In commercial composting facilities, these bags are certified to fully biodegrade or decompose within 3 to 6 months. However, in backyard composting setups, the decomposition process might take a bit longer, ranging from 6 to 12 months. The rate at which these bags biodegrade depends on several factors including the temperature, moisture, oxygen levels, and the presence and types of microorganisms in the composting environment. In some cases, particularly in commercial composting facilities, My Eco World bags may break down much more quickly than the certified 3 to 6-month period.
Are MyEcoWorld bags good?
Upon opening the package, the first thing I noticed was the silky, smooth texture of the bags. This is probably because the bags are made mostly from cornstarch. If you are a very tactile person or someone who looks for haptic sensations, these bags do not disappoint!
Secondly, I noticed that there were no straps or carry handles on the bags like many traditional trash bags and all of the other compostable bags I have reviewed. This did cause an annoying minor problem of my bag slipping down into the trash can a few times.
I reached out to the company about the lack of straps. This is what they said:
“We have opted to not do handles or straps for several reasons.
1) The added layers of film that create the straps take longer to compost.
2) We have done several studies and found that to do the straps and make them strong enough and delight the customer, it will take more film than necessary for a successful compost.
3) We will continue to do studies and find solutions to this issue, but for now it is our mission to replace conventional plastic in a safe way and stick by the breakdowns needed for composting for curbside, home, and industrial facilities.”
-My Eco World
Durability: comparable to other brands
I decided to test out how strong they actually are. So I got all the weights I had and a rock for good measure. This is the same as I did with the other compostable bag brands I have reviewed. I had three 5-pound weights, one 3-pound weight and the rock weighs 6 pounds. That is 24 lbs. The average 13-gallon trash bag can hold up to 20 lbs. The bag held up well. I had the same results with Plastno bags.
Sustainability: better than other brands
MyEcoWorld bags have many more eco-friendly certifications than other biodegradable bags on the market.
Compostability: better than other brands
Because of the lack of straps on the bags, these bags break down and compost faster.
Price: comparable to other brands
Let’s make an apples-to-apples comparison in price of the leading compostable trash bags.
- MyEcoWorld Tall Compostable 13 Gallon Food Waste Bags: $7.49 for 12 = $0.62 each
- Plastno Compostable 13 Gallon Trash Bags: $18.00 for 16 = $1.13 each
- HoldOn Tall Compostable 13 Gallon Trash Bags: $25.70 for 40 (one-time purchase) = $0.64 each
So My Eco World bags are on the low end of price and comparable to HoldOn.
Conclusion
My Eco World bags are durable and highly compostable. They are better than other brands in some metrics. Their lack of tie straps may hinder it’s functionality on some trash cans but it is also this that makes it more compostable than other eco-friendly trash bag brands.