FAQS
What are TOMbag reusable garbage bags?
TOMbag is a reusable garbage bag upcycled from 100% recycled PET plastic bottles.
Our reusable garbage bags are designed to fit any medium to large kitchen tidy bin in your home or office to replace single use garbage bin liners.
Our reusable bin liners can be used for both your general waste and for your recycing waste.
How do I clean the TOMbag reusable garbage bags?
There is a number of was you can clean your TOMbag reusable bin liner.
If the inner lining is not that dirty, you can take a soapy damp cloth and wipe it down.
Another way to clean is to add some soapy water inside the reusable garbage bag and shake it around then tip out the water. Repeat until clean.
TOMbag reusable garbage bags are also machine washable. Simply set your washine machine to a quick rinse setting (15mins) to wash. Then dry outside or simply wipe down and reuse it again.
Is TOMbag reusable garbage bag leak proof?
Absolutley. TOMbag is 100% waterproof meaning it will never leak garbage waste all over your floors like single-use plastic garbage bags do.
Why do I need a reusable garbage bag?
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.
Are bioplastic bags (including biodegradable and compostable) good for the enviroment?
No. Bioplastic bags are often marketed to consumers as good for the enviroment (practive known as Greenwashing) 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.
How many TOMbag reusable garbage bags do I need?
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).
TOMbag reusable bin liners can be used for both your general waste garbage bin and for your recycling waste garbage bin.
In most cases, buying 2-4 should be enough for most housholds. This will allow you to replace your reusable garbage bag every 2-7 days with a new one and at the same time allow you to wipe down or wash 2 reusable garbage bags together in the same cycle.
How often should I wash my TOMbag reusable garbage bag?
You can wash your TOMbag reusable bin liner every 2-7 days depending what waste you put inside it.
What size garbage bin is TOMbag reusable garbage bag designed for?
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.
Can I gift a TOMbag reusable garbage bag?
Yes. When you checkout, in the comments section add the details of the person, address, phone number and if you'd like to add any special message. We'll contact you after your purchase to confirm the details before sending your gift to your lucky friend.
What material are TOMbag reusable garbage bags made from?
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 it enabling you to make a positive impact twards reversing climate change.
What to do with a TOMbag reusable garbage bag once it reaches its end of life?
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.
What is the size and capacity of TOMbag reusable garbage bags?
TOMbag comes in two different sizes - small and large.
Large Size:
The large size is 60cm x 70cm and is designed to fit a large kitchen tidy bin or smalller.
The large reusable bin liner capacity is 35 litres.
Please refer to the sizing guide to the right to see if the large size is suitable for your bin type.
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Small Size:
The small size is 48cm x 46cm and is designed to fit a small to medium sized bin.
The small reusable bin liner capacity is 18 litres.
Please refer to the sizing guide to the right to see if the small size is suitable for your bin type.
How can I get free shipping?
We offer free shipping for all orders in Australia. We also offer free shipping on all international orders over A$200.
Won't my washing machine get stinky after washing a TOMbag reusable garbage bag in it?
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 it makes 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.
Can I throw away loose unbagged garbage into my general waste bin?
We have contacted all city and local goverment councils in Australia and got a confirmation from most that placing unbagged garbage in your general waste bin is not against any law. The only concern of councils if any, is that light-weight waste may blow into the streets during garbage collection.
In fact, many councils in Australia encourage you to not use single-use garbage bags 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 MUST always be loose, single-use garbage bags do not belong in 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.
What is the plastic garbage bag carbon footprint calculator based on?
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.
What happens to my reusable garbage bag at its end of life?
TOMbag is a part of the circular economy. We are recycling TOMbag reusable garbage bags with TerraCycle via their Zero Waste Box™ system at our products end of life.
Once your TOMbag product is returned to us, it is packed in our Zero Waste Box™ then shipped to TerraCycle where it is sorted and made into plastic granules to be repurposed and transformed into new products.
Once you've shipped, email us the tracking number to Hi@TOMbag.com.au and we'll send you a promo code to get 10% off your next purchase with us! A win for you & the planet.
What does it mean that TOMbag is a social enterprise?
A social enterprise or social business is defined as a business that has specific social objectives that serve its primary purpose. Social enterprises seek to maximize profits while maximizing benefits to society and the environment.
TOMbag is a registered social enterprise in Australia with the social enterprise council of NSW & ACT (
SECNA).
How long do TOMbag reusable garbage bags last?
Your new TOMbag reusable bin liner will last at least 12 months or longer provided you use the product as designed.
