It’s more than a joke—beans truly are magical. Toss cannellini beans in pesto and add some greens and sausage. Smash pintos and spices into a tortilla with sharp cheese. Mix kidney beans into minestrone, blend black beans and crema into a decadent  soup, or roast garbanzos in olive oil and paprika until crispy. 

Hungry yet? 

Beans are filling, inexpensive, versatile and yummy.  This you already know. If you’re trying to stock up and cut back on trash, what you may also want to know is this—should you switch to dried beans?

The answer is nuanced. It’s “yes.” And also “not always.”

Trash Talk #2: Bean Cans

Last year, we started a series called trash talk. In this series, we look at one common product at a time and see if we can do better, environmentally speaking. Since little steps can add up over time, simple product swaps can become a collective habit.

It’s been a minute since our first trash talk (it was about milk cartons, check it out here). But we’re here with our second installment—the bean can. 

As a reminder, trash talk has rules. We promise you two things:

• Sustainable swaps should be affordable and attainable. So, if we recommend a product swap, it won’t cost too much. In fact, it may cost less in the long run—and it won’t require a large investment at the beginning. 

• Swaps will be simple—no complicated processes or unrealistic DIYs.

Here’s the good news about beans cans—they are typically affordable, storable and recyclable. If you’re like most people, you’ve got a few cans in your cabinet right now, and they make a simple and fast  meal.

If you’re looking for affordable, storable, quick, and recyclable, you’re doing alright with canned beans. 

Can we do better?

Here’s the thing—dried beans are even more affordable and storable, and they typically produce less waste. It’s true that metal cans are easily recyclable. In fact, they are one of the most recycled products in the world.

Of course, cans themselves are not necessarily made from 100% recycled metal. They contain aluminum made from material that must be mined and then processed.  And while 70 percent or more of metal cans get recycled, plenty still finds its way into landfills.

By swapping in some dried beans, you can buy in bulk to avoid excess packaging—just check the label to see if the packaging you do get is recyclable.

There’s a freshness and flavor benefit too. According to Bon Appetit’s “Basically” site, soaked and cooked dried beans “Not only taste worlds better than their canned counterparts, you also get the bonus of a potful of delicious bean broth.”

We know—the soaking and the cooking though. It can take hours. That’s why we recommend you keep a few cans handy for busy (or lazy) nights. But if you typically default to canned beans, consider keeping dried around and soaking a big pot when you have the time.

Bonus? They freeze like magic.

In short, swapping dried for canned gives you fresher, tastier, and less expensive beans with less waste. But if you’re in a pinch, you don’t need to feel guilty about the cans. Just be sure to give the can a rinse before tossing it in the recycle bin.