Trash Bags

16 products ranked by Scout score

Best trash bags right now

Emily's Choice Biodegradable Trash Bag Code Q 67/100
Scout's analysis: Emily's Choice Biodegradable Trash Bag Code Q scores 67/100. A trash bag labeled biodegradable, made from a biodegradable polymer such as PBAT or PLA. Conventional…
Garden Genius Biodegradable 13-17 Gallon Code-Q Trash Bags 63/100
Scout's analysis: Garden Genius Biodegradable 13-17 Gallon Code-Q Trash Bags scores 63/100. Biodegradable trash bags in the 13-17 gallon Code-Q size, made from PLA (polylactic acid) and…
Matter Compostable 13 Gallon Tall Kitchen Trash Bags Unscented 59/100
Scout's analysis: Matter Compostable 13 Gallon Tall Kitchen Trash Bags Unscented scores 59/100. Unscented 13-gallon tall kitchen trash bags labeled compostable, made from plant-based…

What to skip

Kirkland Signature Trash Bags 40/100
Scout's analysis: Kirkland Signature Trash Bags scores 40/100.
Plasticplace 95-96 Gallon Garbage Can Liners 40/100
Scout's analysis: Plasticplace 95-96 Gallon Garbage Can Liners scores 40/100. Made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE), a plastic rated bad, with microplastic shedding rated very…
Glad Small Trash Bags 4 Gallon 44/100
Scout's analysis: Glad Small Trash Bags 4 Gallon scores 44/100.

Ingredients to watch in trash bags

The flagged ingredients that show up most often across these 16 products. Each link opens Scout's analysis of the ingredient.

Polyethylene (PE) in 3 of 16
Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) in 2 of 16

What the better trash bags have in common

Corn Starch in 4 of 16
PBAT (Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate) in 3 of 16
PLA (Polylactic Acid) in 3 of 16
Polylactic Acid (PLA) in 2 of 16
Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate (PBAT) in 2 of 16

Common questions about trash bags

What scores highest in trash bags on Scout?

Emily's Choice Biodegradable Trash Bag Code Q leads Scout's trash bags ranking at 67/100, followed by Garden Genius Biodegradable 13-17 Gallon Code-Q Trash Bags (63) and Matter Compostable 13 Gallon Tall Kitchen Trash Bags Unscented (59). Scores compare products within the category on ingredients, processing, packaging and any lab results.

What should I avoid in trash bags?

Kirkland Signature Trash Bags scores 40/100, the lowest of the 16 products Scout has analyzed in trash bags; next lowest are Plasticplace 95-96 Gallon Garbage Can Liners (40) and Glad Small Trash Bags 4 Gallon (44). Each product page lists the ingredients behind the number.

What drags scores down in trash bags?

Across these 16 products the most common flagged ingredients are Polyethylene (PE), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE). Each appears in at least two of the products ranked here.

How does Scout score trash bags?

Every product in trash bags gets one 1–100 score for comparison within its category: the full ingredient list judged by a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. Lab results are disclosed, not scored. Scout takes no payment for scores or placement.

How Scout scores trash bags

One 1–100 score per product, judged within its category: every ingredient on the label through a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. No brand pays for a score or a position on this list. Read the full methodology →