How I've Incorporated HoldOn Compostable Bags Within My Home

Reviewing the new compostable kitchen & storage bags from HoldOn, as well as how I’ve incorporated these durable, eco-friendly bags within my home!

I’m really excited to share this new line of sustainable household bags with you all. Over the past few years, I’ve made a conscious effort to reduce plastic use within my home & in some cases, avoiding plastic all together. I haven’t bought Ziploc bags in years & have tossed all of my plastic food storage containers since they can leach toxins into foods. So with my desire to live a non-toxic lifestyle, as well as, one that is more eco-friendly, I love using & supporting brands who are doing just that!

What are HoldOn Bags?

HoldOn is a brand new line of compostable, plant-based, non-toxic & heavy-duty bags, for your trash, kitchen, & general storage! Not only are the materials used to create the bags sustainable, but they’re also really durable! With HoldOn, there’s no need to sacrifice durability for an option that’s gentler on the planet. Their compostable kitchen trash bags & food storage bags are just as convenient as your typical plastic trash & storage bags, however, they break down cleanly & have significantly less of an impact on our environment.

New HoldOn Products

I have really been liking using my new sustainable HoldOn bags. I’ll share some of the ways I’ve been using them below but overall, I love the convenience of having the “plastic” bag feel without the typical plastic bag waste! Currently, HoldOn has four compostable bag options for your home.

Trash Bags

13 Gallon Trash Bag with drawstring – typical kitchen trash size
4 Gallon Trash Bag without drawstring – perfect for smaller spaces like your office, bathrooms, utility room, or counter-top compost receptacles

Storage Bags

Sandwich storage bag – features a zip-seal closure in your typical sandwich size bag
Gallon storage bag – features a zip-seal closure in your typical gallon size bag

The Plastic Waste Problem

As many of us know, plastic waste is a huge problem within our environment. It’s been my goal within the past few years to do my part as a consumer by reducing the amount of plastic I use within my home & really encourage you to do the same! I always say we need a million people doing sustainability imperfectly rather than one person living perfectly sustainable in order to make a difference.

The reality of immense plastic consumption, which occurs not only in the United States, but worldwide, is that plastic decomposes very slowly – if at all. So not only is plastic production taxing on our environment due to the use of fossil fuels in large amounts, but it can take up to 1,000 years for ONE plastic bag to break down.

During these hundreds of years of decomposition, the plastic then emits harmful toxins which contribute to climate change. Not to mention, the abundance of microplastics that occur whenever plastic breaks down. Unfortunately these microplastics, which are small shards of plastic, end up within wildlife, waterways, & are even consumed by animals. Did you know that a third of the world’s fish contain microplastics? This has a ripple effect on the entire food chain & even humans since we are the ones consuming these animals.

Even though I’m not living a perfectly zero-waste lifestyle, I am 100% being mindful of the products I use & bring into my home. Something like choosing a biodegradable trash bag may seem insignificant at first, but when you think of how quickly your household goes through trash bags, week after week, year after year, decade after decade, it doesn’t seem so insignificant anymore! I love that HoldOn is supporting these sustainable lifestyle choices with their new products.

How to use HoldOn bags as a plastic bag alternative

Here’s the easy part! Simply replace your current trash & food storage bags with HoldOn bags! As I mentioned, I have really enjoyed using my plastic-free HoldOn bags because they perform the same as your typical plastic trash bag or food storage bag, minus the waste!

Remember when I shared that your typical plastic bag might take up to 1,000 years to decompose? Once you dispose your HoldOn trash bag, the bag will begin to break down when it’s exposed to heat, pressure, & air within a matter of weeks! The same goes for the sandwich & gallon storage bags!

How to use

The storage bags are a perfect swap for your household plastic bags. They’re food-safe, non-toxic, BPA-free, & of course sustainable for our environment! I’ve enjoyed using these bags for food storage, marinating, food prep, freezing, & more! You can also use them when you’re on the go to keep your bag organized, bring along snacks, or to keep toiletries separate while traveling. On my recent trip, I actually used them for just that!

How to dispose

To discard the HoldOn storage bags, simply throw them away as you normally would OR compost them at home. If you choose to compost them, be sure to remove any non-food material first. Since the HoldOn storage bags are so durable, I’ve actually found that I can use the bags more than once, which I love since it helps me get more use out of them before disposal!

How HoldOn bags are made

One of my favorite things about HoldOn bags is their compostable ability. Although they are durable & strong like all of the plastic bags on the market, HoldOn designed these bags to break down within weeks, not centuries. This is due to the ingredients used to make the bags!

PBAT

Known as Polybutylene adipate terephthalate, PBAT breaks down quickly without emitting methane gas or toxic residue. PBAT was created as a solution for the plastic waste problem. It’s extremely biodegradable & a wonderful alternative for conventional plastic. PBAT also uses less crude oil & fossil fuel to produce than traditional plastic.

PLA

Known as Polylactic acid. PLA is a plant-based material made from renewable resources such as the sugars in corn starch, cassava or sugarcane. PLA is biodegradable, requires less energy in production, & emits less greenhouse gases as it decomposes.

Cornstarch

Cornstarch is something we’re all familiar with. In the production of these HoldOn bags, cornstarch helps bond the elements in their material to produce a flexible, durable bag! Cornstarch also breaks down quickly & does so without emitting toxic gases.

Responsible Packaging

HoldOn uses all responsibly-sourced, FSC certified boxes to package the trash & storage bags. There isn’t any unnecessary paper packing used & they never use plastic within their packaging components!

Home Compostable vs. Biodegradable

Although the HoldOn trash & storage bags are compostable, you don’t need to compost to use them! If you’re like me & you don’t compost, simply use these eco-friendly bags & trash bags as you normally would. They will break down in weeks once you toss them after they’re exposed to the heat, air, & pressure of a landfill. This process of the bags breaking down, will not emit any toxic fumes into the air.

For anyone who DOES want to compost their HoldOn bags, simply fill them with compostable materials (food scraps, newspaper, cardboard, etc) & toss your bag into your compost pile or bin. You can treat them as normal compost waste & the bags will begin to cleanly break down within a few weeks.

My favorite ways to use HoldOn bags

in my kitchen trash
in my bathroom trash
for food & on the go snack storage
great for marinating meats
perfect for freezing fruit for throwing in smoothies
can be used to store just about anything in a drawer, purse, travel bag, in the car, office, kitchen, & more
great for traveling – love using the gallon HoldOn bags for toiletries
can be used in a counter-top compost receptacles
perfect for packing lunches

How I’ve Incorporated HoldOn Compostable Bags Within My Home