What do you use to line your trashcan? Plastic bags? Paper? Bags that are labeled "biodegradable?" Nothing at all?

Is going bag-less unsanitary? What do you think is the most environmentally friendly approach?

I usually use a standard plastic trash bag but I haven’t even though of the environmental repercussions to using a trash bag. I don’t know if I would go completely bag-less. The can would get dirty and you would have to clean it often but also the trash bin you take to the curb would become at least twice as dirty. I will look into biodegradable. I, personally, think it depends on the person and where they keep their trash cans.

I do know that there are biodegradable and compostable trash bags that you can purchase. They may be more expensive but if you can afford it and want to help out the environment, then power to you! Here is a website that you can order them on:
http://letsgogreen.biz/pages/plastic.html

One question I have is, when I recycle, I put my recyclables in paper bags. SO when I go to the grocery store, I end up using paper bags instead of my own shopping bag because I need the paper bags to do recycling. It seems like a vicious cycle and I don't know what else to do. Any advice?

The best thing to do is to dump your recyclables directly into the bins before they are picked up, and keep using the same paper bags in your home, for as long as possible. In that case, you can reduce the number of paper bags you take home from the grocery store, and get back to using tote bags/reusable grocery bags when you do your shopping. There's always going to be some time that you just have to run to the store without going home first to get your bags, so use those times to get the paper bags

Hi there, in general I try to compost and recycle as much as possible, but I have been thinking about this question a lot lately. I wanted to go bag-less for awhile. It sounds disgusting, but because I already compost, the grossness wouldn’t have been too big a factor. I was even wiling to wash the trashcan often so it won't get stinky.
Unfortunately, after I consulted my city’s garbage guidelines, I found that I’m not allowed to put loose trash in my outdoor trash can for pickup. A friend in Portland, Ore., tells me that she can put loose trash into the sidewalk bin, but there are some exceptions-- cat litter must be bagged or waste disposal employees will refuse to accept it. The best advice is to consult your city’s guidelines.
Because going bagless wasn’t an option for me, I’ve started buying trash bags made with recycled plastic. Recycled plastic content replaces virgin plastic content and reduces our use of petroleum.

As a final note, I would caution against rushing out to buy biodegradable trash bags. They will just be a waste of money unless you know for sure that your landfill is designed to hasten decomposition, through aerobic or anaerobic means. When I lived in New York, for example, all of my trash went to an incinerator. Call your town government to find out where the garbage goes.