Reusable Pellet Bags?

[Clarkbug]

Good afternoon everyone.

So this past year we have added a pellet stove to our heating mix. I still have our wood boiler, which is backed up by oil, but for a number of reasons and some renovations, Im not burning cordwood this year. I am enjoying having a space heater that has some ambiance to it, and its also a really nice spot to actually get warm when you come in from the cold. (HW baseboard just doesnt warm you up quite the same as something on fire...)

Anyway, one of things that is bugging me is the amount of plastic involved with the wood pellet burning process. I had really liked that when burning wood, there is a fossil fuel input to it from saws and transport and the like, but for the most part there wasnt a lot of waste. Now when getting pellets, its a lot of plastic for the bags, plus the overwrap per ton, plus thats shrinkwrapped... Im collecting the bags with the intent to recycle them, but not sure how much of that actually will get recycled somewhere.

I know that the alternative would be to build a bulk pellet bin, but where I dont think that I can even get bulk delivery. I also dont know that it would ever pay back for the storage bin I would need in order to get bulk delivery (assuming I need one that can take several tons).

My thought had been perhaps to find a manufacturer that would package in burlap, and would let you return bags to be refilled? Or perhaps a vendor that sells bulk pellets but would let you come fill your own burlap bags instead of having to buy multiple tons at once?

I realize there are a lot of limitations with this thought, and maybe it would only work on a very localized scale. Part of the appeal of pellet burning is that you can get your fuel delivered to your house and not handle it multiple times, so the idea of having to store your own sacks and reuse them or manhandle them several time is probably not that appealing to some.

Just wondering if there are any ways to cut down on the plastic usage, or find a better use for the bags afterwards.... Any thoughts?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Reuse the plastic bags as garbage bags.

 

[tlc1976]

Reuse the plastic bags as garbage bags.

That’s exactly what I do. You won’t find a heavier duty tall kitchen bag and they fit perfectly in my container. I also use them for laying on the floor to work on stuff.

I don’t know the logistics of recycling but I do my part and take the ones I don’t use to the recycling station.

The wrapping works well to cover the pellets in case my pole barn roof leaks or sweats. Also nice as paint drop cloths. Or keep one in the back of the Jeep to cover stuff and deter parking lot pirates. Could even make one into a windshield sunshade, white to reflect sun.

Cardboard goes over newly laid down pallets for stacking. Can use for laying on under the vehicle when working on it too.

Lots of uses for pallets. Last thing I did was stack a bunch in the trailer as a relatively lightweight place holder to keep what I was hauling from shifting.

Edit: On the topic of reusable bags. One advantage of the plastic bags is they repel water on a limited basis. Like if it’s raining or snowing when you’re hauling them in. They’re also durable and very obvious if there’s a hole in it. I don’t think I could say the same for burlap. One could probably reuse the plastic bags, fill them a little less and use laces or a heat sealer to keep them closed. Seems like a lot of work though. And if you can only haul so many because they have to be kept upright, and it takes you more trips to the store, it’s probably less green overall.

 

[begreen]

I griped about this in the late 1990s. The industry did not budge and I was glad to stop buying pellets. The pellets I was buying were using virgin vinyl for their bags instead of a recycled plastic. The nearest recycler was over 90 miles away. The only way to break this cycle is for the producer to own their bags, cradle to grave, or better yet, cradle to cradle. You make it, you own it.

 

[Clarkbug]

Reuse the plastic bags as garbage bags.

I have used a couple of them in the garage , but will definitely generate more empty bags than I would need for trash bags.

That’s exactly what I do. You won’t find a heavier duty tall kitchen bag and they fit perfectly in my container. I also use them for laying on the floor to work on stuff.

I don’t know the logistics of recycling but I do my part and take the ones I don’t use to the recycling station.

The wrapping works well to cover the pellets in case my pole barn roof leaks or sweats. Also nice as paint drop cloths. Or keep one in the back of the Jeep to cover stuff and deter parking lot pirates. Could even make one into a windshield sunshade, white to reflect sun.

Cardboard goes over newly laid down pallets for stacking. Can use for laying on under the vehicle when working on it too.

Lots of uses for pallets. Last thing I did was stack a bunch in the trailer as a relatively lightweight place holder to keep what I was hauling from shifting.

Edit: On the topic of reusable bags. One advantage of the plastic bags is they repel water on a limited basis. Like if it’s raining or snowing when you’re hauling them in. They’re also durable and very obvious if there’s a hole in it. I don’t think I could say the same for burlap. One could probably reuse the plastic bags, fill them a little less and use laces or a heat sealer to keep them closed. Seems like a lot of work though. And if you can only haul so many because they have to be kept upright, and it takes you more trips to the store, it’s probably less green overall.

I am gathering them for recycling, and supposedly something will happen with them, but I worry that any of the fines suck inside will cause issues somewhere down the line.

The wrapping is pretty useful for lots of various things for sure, and I can use the cardboard and pallets for things also.

Dont get me wrong, plastic performs well, is easy to integrate into the process for bagging, and is inexpensive for what they need to do. They are easy to stack on a pallet in a way that keeps them stable, and they hold the dust and fines inside instead of shedding them.

I am just wondering if there would be any sort of market demand for people going to fill their own truck with bags that could be re-used at all. I guess the more I think about it, if someone has that capability, its probably better to allow for bulk filling of an IBC Tote or some of the smaller plastic barrels. Probably not going to make sense for an alternative packaging, but instead just no packaging. So maybe a bulk pellet service, but one that would allow for local dispensing. Perhaps one that also had corn available for those that wanted to burn that or a mix of the two.

I griped about this in the late 1990s. The industry did not budge and I was glad to stop buying pellets. The pellets I was buying were using virgin vinyl for their bags instead of a recycled plastic. The nearest recycler was over 90 miles away. The only way to break this cycle is for the producer to own their bags, cradle to grave, or better yet, cradle to cradle. You make it, you own it.

I wouldnt mind getting back to cordwood, but just need the time to process and move it effectively. Maybe an Aspen C3 or a similarly sized Jotul (possibly a Morso), something that can take the chill off and offer some ambiance.

I will say its a lot easier to handle bags of pellets than the same amount of cordwood, and stacks easier for me. It is nice to be able to dial down the heat on a mild day, and its easy to get it going. Everything has a trade I do suppose.