Plastic shopping bags , carrier bags , or plastic grocery bags , are a common type of shopping bag in several countries. Most often these bags are intended for a single use to carry items from a store to a home: reuse for storage or trash (bin bags) is common. Heavier duty plastic shopping bags are suitable for multiple uses as reusable shopping bags.
History
Plastic bags are often made from polyethylene, which consists of a long chain of ethylene monomers. Ethylene is derived from natural gas and petroleum, and it was not until 1977 that polyethylene was used in forms of plastic grocery bags. Dixie Bag Co. of College Park GA, owned and operated by J.W. "The "Bagman" McBride was a leader in the new industry and hoped to bring convenient products to all major shopping stores. Mr. McBride's, Dixie Bag, as well as Houston Poly Bag, were instrumental in manufacturing, marketing, and perfecting this unique bag by the early 80s. Kroger, an Atlanta based Company, agreed to try this innovation. So, the real change in grocery bags did not start until 1982, when the two of America’s largest grocery companies Safeway and Kroger started replacing paper bags with more affordable plastic bags. From then on, the usage of plastic bags became common for carrying daily groceries from the store, to our vehicles, and finally to our homes. As plastic bags increasingly replaced paper bags, and as other plastic materials and products replaced glass, metal, stone, timber and other materials, a packaging materials war erupted with plastic shopping bags at the center of highly publicized battles.
Composition
Plastic shopping bags are usually made of polyethylene. This can be low-density, resin identification code 4, or most often high-density, resin identification code 2.
Although often quoted as consuming oil resources, most plastic bags are actually made from natural gas.
Although not in use today, plastic shopping bags could be made from Polylactic acid (PLA) a biodegradable polymer derived from lactic acid. This is one form of vegetable-based bioplastic. This material biodegrades quickly under composting conditions and does not leave toxic residue. However, bioplastic can have its own environmental impacts, depending on the way it is produced. Recyclability of this experimental material is unproven: resin identification code 7 is applicable.
Bags made of biodegradable polythene film, which decompose when exposed to sun, air, and moisture, and are also suited for composting have been proposed as an alternative to conventional plastic shopping bags. However, they do not readily decompose in a sealed landfill and represent a possible contaminant to plastic recycling operations. Resin identification code 7 is applicable.
Environmental issues
Reusable shopping bags are often considered better for the environment than single use bags. Plastic shopping bags have advantages and disadvantages when compared to paper bags.
Advantages
Compared to paper bags
- The United States Environmental Protection Agency says paper bags are worse for the environment than plastic. Plastic bags require much less energy to manufacture, ship and recycle and because of this plastic generates less greenhouse gas. Plastic bags cause less air and water pollution. They compress to a small size in landfills.
- Sterile method for transporting food products and preventing food borne illness.
- Light weight nature requires less energy consumption during transportation compared to paper with a 7:1 advantage.
- Many studies comparing plastic bags versus paper bag show that plastic bags have less net environmental effect than paper bags, requiring less energy to produce, transport and recycle; however these studies also note that recycling rates for plastic are significantly lower than for paper.
- Plastic carrier bags can be reused as trash bags or bin bags.
- According to the Australian government most bags are reused as bin liners.
- Plastic bags can be recycled through some grocery store takeback programs.
- When it comes to concerns about their impact on the environment The EPA was quoted in an interview saying…”consumers shouldn't stress too much, as long as they're recycling or reusing store bags, said Chris Newman, an environmental scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.”
Disadvantages
- Plastic shopping bags are made from petrochemicals which are not renewable.
- When disposed of improperly, they are unsightly and endanger many forms of wildlife.
- Plastic bags, conventional or "compostable", do not readily biodegrade in a sanitary landfill as paper and other materials don't either.
- Plastic bags (particularly thin dry cleaning bags) can cause unsupervised infants to suffocate when not handled properly.
- According to the UK government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, there are several problems with plastic recycling, and in particular plastic bags.
- The high volume to weight ratio of plastic means that the collection and transport of this waste is difficult and expensive.
Various jurisdictions across countries, states, counties and cities have legislated plastic bag litter and waste through a variety of voluntary or mandatory programs to include the development of recycling programs, education programs, point of sale taxes or bans on plastic bags.
Recycling
Plastic shopping bags can be recycled and groups like the Progressive bag alliance promote education as a way of increasing rates of plastic recycling.
Growing recycling rates in North America
Although the United States Environmental Protection Agency stated in 2000 that only 1% of plastic bags were recycled, significant attention resulted in a 700% growth in the recycling industry as new capacity led to a 7% rate. This resulted in more that 800 million lbs of bags and other film being recycled in 2007 alone Each ton of recycled plastic bags saves the energy equivalent of 11 barrels of oil, although most bags are produced from natural gas derived stock. In light of an Australian study showing more than 60% of bags are reused as bin liners and for other purposes, the 7% recycling rate account for 17.5% of bags available for recycling.
See also
- Bioplastic
- Plastic bag
- Environment
- Litter
- Bin bag
- Plastic recycling
- Biodegradable polythene film
- Biodegradation
- Progressive bag alliance
- Paper pollution
- Photodegradation
- Reusable shopping bag
- Trash bag
- Biodegradable bags
References
- ^ a b Natural Resource Defense Council
- ^ US Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, US Life Cycle Inventory Database, http://www.nrel.gov/lci/
- ^ Notes from the Packaging Laboratory: Polylactic Acid -- An Exciting New Packaging Material
- ^ The Guardian - Biodegradable plastic bags carry more ecological harm than good
- ^ (see note 5 in: )
- ^ Slate Explainer, "Will My Plastic Bag Still Be Here in 2507?" 27 June 2007.
- ^ a b Questions About Your Community: Shopping Bags: Paper or Plastic or . . .?
- ^ Plastic Shopping Bags In Australia, National Plastic Bags Working Group Report to the National Packaging Covenant Council,
- ^ http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/easy/1528425,HOF-News-EasyBeingGreen16.article
- ^ Children Still Suffocating with Plastic Bags}
- ^ What happens to waste: Plastics & plastic bags
- ^ http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_plastics/sec_content.asp?CID=1593&DID=8899
- ^ http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/publications/waste/plastic-bags/pubs/report-2002.pdf
External links
Further reading
- Susan Selke|Selke, S, Packaging and the Environment , 1994, ISBN 1566761042
- Susan Selke|Selke, S,. Plastics Packaging , 2004, ISBN 1569903727
- Stillwell, E. J, Packaging for the Environment , A. D. Little, 1991, ISBN 0814450741
- Scheirs, J., Polymer Recycling:
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