Can the canned beans

Having been (mostly) vegetarian for the past 20 years, I have eaten more than a hill of beans, and I have grown to relish all the forms that beans can take.  Refried beans, baked beans, sprouted beans, bean dip, beans and rice, bean soup... they're not only versatile and delicious, but they're also dirt cheap!  To reduce the packaging associated with my bean consumption (read: addiction), I'm committing to forgoing the canned beans for the next year, instead buying my beans in bulk.  The cons are that soaking and cooking them takes more time than opening a can, but the pros are that it saves a package, the beans taste better, and although the process of soaking and cooking them is time intensive, it is not labor intensive.  Here's how I cook pinto beans, and most other dried beans:

• Rinse and sort beans, looking for any pebbles or foreign matter.
• Cover them with water (make sure the water level is much higher than the bean level, because they absorb a lot of the water)
• Allow to soak on the countertop overnight, covered.
• Strain the beans, and put them in a big pot, covering again with water.
• Add a strip of dried kombu (it's a seaweed that will help tenderize the beans, as well as adding iodine. You can buy it at health food stores and Asian markets)
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook, patially covered, for about an hour, or until the beans are tender.
• Drain, removing the kombu.