Reusable garbage bags are a new thing

Question 1

What are TOMbag reusable garbage bags?

Answer

TOMbag is a reusable garbage bag made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Our reusable garbage bags are designed to be used for your kitchen tidy bin at home or office to replace single use garbage bin liners.

Question 2

How do I clean the TOMbag reusable garbage bags?

Answer

TOMbag is machine washable. Simply set a quick setting on your washing machine to wash. Then dry outside or simply wipe down and reuse it again.

Question 3

Is TOMbag reusable garbage bag leak proof?

Answer

Absolutley. TOMbag is 100% waterproof meaning it will never leak garbage waste all over your floors like single-use plastic garbage bags do.

Question 4

Why do I need a reusable garbage bag?

Answer

Single-use plastic bags including plastic garbage bags are one of the major pollutants for the world contaminating our soil, water, air, and bodies. In Australia, we throw away over 5 billion plastic bags each year. By replacing single-use plastic garbage bags with the TOMbag reusable garbage bag, you will stop adding plastic waste into our environment and help decrease the effects of climate change.

Question 5

Are bioplastic bags (including biodegradable and compostable) good for the enviroment?

Answer

Not really. Bioplastic bags are often marketed to consumers as good for the enviroment as they are biodegradable or compostable. But this is not often the case. For example, most bio-based plastics are produced from agricultural feedstock, requiring an estimated 600,000 hectares to produce 1.6 million tonnes of plastics in 2013 – a fraction of the total demand for plastics (<0.5% of 2015 total). Increasing land use for bio-based plastics could bring about competition with agriculture, cause biodiversity loss and raise land rights concerns, as well as having negative climate consequences. More infomation can be found in this joint report by Greenpeace and The Enviomental Investagation Agency (EIA). Click here to read. We have written a detailed blog on this topic titled " Biodegradable Plastic Bag Myth - Are They Truly Eco-Friendly?" which you can also read.

Question 6

How many TOMbag reusable garbage bags do I need?

Answer

This depends on how many people are in your home or office, how many kitchen tidy bins you use and your garbage management habits (if you compost food scraps, for example).
We recommend you buy 3 (and up to 7) TOMbag reusable garbage bags for each home or office. This will allow you to replace your reusable garbage bag every 2-5 days with a new one and allow you to wipe down or wash 2 reusable garbage bags together.

Question 7

How often should I wash my TOMbag reusable garbage bag?

Answer

You can wash your TOMbag reusable bin liner every 2-7 days depending what waste you put inside it. Besides washing in a washing machine for a quick 15mins rinse, you can try wiping it down or adding some warm soapy water inside the bin liner and shaking it, then just tip out the water (repeat if needed).

Question 8

What size garbage bin is TOMbag reusable garbage bag designed for?

Answer

TOMbag is designed to fit the most commonly used garbage bin in the home: the kitchen tidy bin. The shape of the kitchen bin does not matter. Customers can use a TOMbag reusable garbage bag for your general waste and for your recycling waste.

Question 9

Can I gift a TOMbag reusable garbage bag?

Answer

Yes. We offer gift card vouchers so you can give TOMbag reusable garbage bags to the people you love and care about. Simply select the gift voucher option in the shop.

Question 10

What material are TOMbag reusable garbage bags made from?

Answer

Each bag is made from 100% certified recycled plastic PET bottles (rPET). We use rPET as it takes away from the exisiting plastic waste from our oceans and waterways and repurposes enabling you to make a difference to climate change.

Question 11

What to do with a TOMbag reusable garbage bag once it reaches its end of life?

Answer

We strive towards zero waste and are currently investagating potential partners in Australia to recycle TOMbag reusable garbage bags once they are no longer usable. For our customers, we will have an incentive program where offering store credit for returned bags.

Question 12

What is the size and capacity of TOMbag reusable garbage bags?

Answer

The size is 60cm x 70cm and is designed to fit a large kitchen tidy bin or smalller. The reusable bin liner capacity is 35 litres.

Question 13

How can I get free shipping?

Answer

We offer free shipping for all orders in Australia.

Question 14

Won't my washing machine get stinky after washing a TOMbag reusable garbage bag in it?

Answer

Before you wash your TOMbag reusable garbage bag in the washing machine make sure that there is no garbage chunks left in it by properly tipping out the bag content into your main rubbish/recycling bin or hopper. You might want to wrap the wet garbage such as food scraps into an old newspaper which will protect the bag by absorbing any moisture. Many people are starting to use home composts for food scraps - even if you live in an apartment, you can share your compost with someone who needs it - you can download an app ShareWaste for that purpose. To learn more about composting in Australia and get up to 80% off a compost bin, worm farm, or bokashi bin, we recommend to visit Compost Revolution. If you feel more comfortable you can also clean your washing machine drum and its insides by running a drum clean cycle after each time you wash TOMbag garbage bag.

Question 15

Can I throw away loose unbagged garbage into my general waste bin?

Answer

We have contacted all major city councils in Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, but also Gold Coast, Banyule (VIC) and Greater Geelong) and got a confirmation that placing unbagged garbage in your general waste bin is not against any law. In fact, many councils encourage you to do so since they recognise the problem related to single-use plastic pollution. It is estimated that an Australian government spends about $4 million per year to clean up natural environments from plastic bags. However, when placing loose garbage in your main rubbish bin, it is recommended to wrap any wet garbage (such as food scraps in case you don't home compost) or dust into an old newspaper. All that is to prevent litter, maintain the main rubbish bin clean and prevent any garbage chunks from getting stuck to its walls. Please note, that garbage placed into your mixed recycling bin (yellow lid) MUST always be loose, single-use garbage bags do not belong to this bin! If you live in an area where you are unsure if its ok, contact us here and we'll help contact your local council to verify it for you. Read more here.

Question 16

What is the plastic garbage bag carbon footprint calculator based on?

Answer

The plastic garbage bag carbon footprint calculator is based on the carbon footprint of plastic (LDPE or PET, polyethylene) at 6 kg CO2 per kg of plastic. The calculator is based on the weight of each single-use garbage bag of 12.5g.

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