Increasing pollution has been affecting our environment and human life since ages and from the past few years, the situation has become alarming. Restricting the use of non-biodegradable plastics can solve the problem of pollution to a great extend. Studies have shown that the plastic has now touched the sea and has been killing marine animals. It might sound horrific, but plastic has found in the foetus too!
The debate about using reusable and degradable bags instead of plastic is not new. To understand the harmful impacts and benefits of certain products, one needs to understand its lifecycle from product manufacturing, reusing, recycling and disposing of.
Plastic or Paper bags?
Plastic carrier bags often take centuries to decay or degrade, and this leads to the horrifying waste problem. Whereas, on the other hand, paper bags require more energy and greenhouse emission to produce. Therefore, both of them is not a very good option from the standpoint of global warming.
Something that can work best is reusable bags. They are a decent settlement to your consumers’ promise to hold on to them and use them often.
Plastic Bags
The advantage of using a plastic bag is that it causes low environmental impact because it demands fewer resources when produced. The plastic bags are commonly prepared using polyethene. Polyethene has a higher degree of compactness. Utilization of resources like petroleum is not required for the production of plastics, therefore less carbon emission and harmful by-products are produced.
Recycling plastic bags is a difficult job but if it not degraded or recycled, it can harm the environment in many ways. This is because the plastic material breaks into microscopic pieces due to which they can be found everywhere, endangering the environment and its creatures in every possible manner.
Paper bags
Paper bags are a preferred choice due to one factor and that is sustainability. They are biodegradable hence easy to recycle. However, it consumes various resources in the process of manufacturing. Producing paper bags requires much more energy than producing plastic bags and the chemicals and fertilizers used in the process can be harmful to the environment.
If these paper bags are used at least three times or more, the impact can be neutralized, but due to its short-lived period, it is unlikely that people use it for more than one time and that causes a negative impact on the environment.
Reusable Bags
Reusable bags are a decent option as you can reuse them. Most of the reusable bags are produced using cotton or polypropylene and both the materials have great durability. Like paper and plastic bags, reusable bags are also harmful to the environment but if reused they are better than plastic or paper bags.
It is hard to determine which type of bag serves the best and is most sustainable. Regardless of whether the bag is plastic, paper or any other material, it is important how often the same bag is used. This is so because ultimately it is not the material but the action that will make a greater difference towards a sustainable environment. Choose the bag that you can reuse as much as possible, as each type of bag has its pros and cons.
Packaging Express has many options available with them, which makes it easier for you to find everything at one place at a very reasonable cost. Explore their section of packaging material the UK to meet all your requirements.
