Garbage bags/liners are used in almost every household in America.  They do a great job keeping your trash cans clean but did you know they could also be making you sick.

The most common plastic used in the making of garbage can liners is soft and flexible low-density polyethylene.  The stronger liners use linear low-density polyethylene.  In rare instances, high-density polyethylene is used.  All relatively safe.  It's the odor control additives and sprays that could be causing you to have allergies and/or breathing problems.

Garbage Can Liners Being Made
YouTube, Layfield
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These days, many garbage bag manufactures spray or add odor protection to the plastic used in the manufacturing process.  The scent is listed on the box.  Even the unscented liners that claim to have odor control, have a chemical additive of some sort.  You just can't smell it.

Garbage bin liners that use odor control protection, can permeate your home with scented or unscented chemicals.  Generally, garbage cans are centrally located in the home and have a lot of people action around them, especially if you have children.  Every time, the lid is open or if you keep your garbage can in a closet, every time the door is open a breeze of the liner's odor protection chemicals is released.  Then picked up by your HVAC and spread throughout your home.

These liners could be making you ill.  Most people never realize that their allergies could be coming from their indoor garbage can.

What's disturbing about this is that the FDA requires a listing of everything in our food and drugs but doesn't require companies to list what's in scents and fragrances.  In turn, Americans have no idea what they're breathing in.

Woman Installing Liner
YouTube, Simplehuman
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To be safe, buy regular garbage can liners without any scents or odor control.  They will protect your garbage cans and they won't make you sick.

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