[PRR]

I have decided to store our food into some type of plastic or aluminum storage bin. Now the prices on the dedicated dog food storage bins on Petco and elsewhere seem competitive when it comes to dollars per pound of food I can store in a given bin. Problem is, the traditional kitchen trash can seems much better suited for simply dropping in the 40 lb bag of dog food into it. I have a 60 lb dog eating out of one, and a 20 lb dog eating out of another 40 lb bag of food. I have found a mouse chew hole at the bottom of one, so I will move the food into plastic.

My question: Is there some reason why I should avoid long term storage inside a plastic trash can? Are those dedicated dog food storage containers safer (as in, no harmful fumes being released, or leaching onto the food)? As long as I can fit a large bag of dog food into a regular trash can, I wouldn't have to worry about any plastic leaching onto the food itself. Or is it a matter of leaching not being an issue as long as the food is dry? I dunno.

 

[Lillith]

It should be fine.

I mean, they are trash cans, so I doubt the manufacturer has done any actual testing of food storage in them, but I know plenty of people with livestock who store food in trash cans, and others with big or multiple dog households who store food in trash cans.

I would make sure to store them in a cool place, though, out of direct sunlight to keep the plastic from breaking down more quickly.

 

[Crantastic]

I'd think any issues would be with dumping the food directly into the bin so it's touching the plastic. If you're just placing the bag full of food in the bin, that shouldn't cause any problems.

 

[PRR]

Yeah I did some more reading and everyone is saying to keep the dog food inside the original bag anyways, so the fat from the food doesn't migrate to the walls of the container. Then, when you are done with the food, you throw the bag away and use the new one. Makes sense to me, and the plastic kitchen trash can I got is quite a bit cheaper than the dedicated dog food containers. Hard to beat $10 at target.