Oh no... plastic bags are bad for the environment and we should just ban them. What is the alternative? Reusable bags. Let's be inquisitive and look at the real cost of them.
According to a report by the UK's Environment Agency, a canvas or cotton reusable bag would have to be reused a total of 171 times to offset the higher carbon emissions.
Ok, so 1 reusable bag = 171 plastic bags.
So, the next logical question to ask is how many times is the average reusable bag used?
The same study found that the average reusable bag is only used 51 times.
Which means by a massive majority these "green" bags are destroying the environment and having a negative impact.
Personal Case Study
I decided to use my mother as a case study. She goes grocery shopping twice a week with reusable bags. That would be 52x2=104 times a year, or a year and a half of usage. My mom needs to use the same bag for a year and a half to just break even, after then she is actually have a positive impact.
I personally have 9 reusable bags I have from free conferences and events. That's about 1539 plastic bags and I don't think I'll ever use that many in my lifetime.
Here's the link an article summarizing the report: http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/plastic-fantastic-carrier-bags-not-ecovillains-after-all-2220129.html
HDPE bags are, for each use, almost 200 times less damaging to the climate than cotton hold-alls favoured by environmentalists, and have less than one third of the Co2 emissions than paper bags which are given out by retailers such as Primark.
The findings suggest that, in order to balance out the tiny impact of each lightweight plastic bag, consumers would have to use the same cotton bag every working day for a year, or use paper bags at least thrice rather than sticking them in the bin or recycling.
Think twice and look at the science!
I think I can honestly say that I've already used hundreds of plastic bags in my lifetime. You don't only have to use reusable bags for groceries! Sure, when you compare one bag to 171 plastic bags to "break even" it seems like a lot. But I'm pretty sure it's safe to assume that the average person will come in contact with a plastic bag more than 171 times a year. Reusable bags can replace all the bags you would accumulate shopping for groceries, shopping for clothes, buying your lunch, carrying anything from one place to another, really. Some people just don't see how much you can actually use them! I even carry a cute reusable bag in my purse so I don't have to get plastic bags when I'm clothing shopping. In this world of consumerism there will always be things to put in bags. Why not just use the same bag? I've had the same reusable bags for years and they're still going strong! I mean, I definitely see your point Nick, but I think it is a lot easier to use the same bag more than 171 times than you think.
ReplyDelete- Sav
@Supersav
ReplyDeleteI think people should use re-useable bags more for the to actually have a positive impact.
However the data doesn't lie - people do not use them even half as much as they need to have a net positive impact.
Do you think it is possible for consumers to change their behaviour? Maybe, but we need to educate and this was exactly what I was trying to do with this post.
Good point, but take in that stores are charging 5 cents for each plastic bag you get and on average selling their re-usable bags for around 2 dollars. From a regular consumer's standpoint they only need to use them about 40 times for them to see any saving. That's not factoring the extra items you could fit in a re-usable bag. Also grocery bags aren't the most structurally sound device i've come across. Have you ever seen people do the infamous double bag? Plastic bags aren't being banned for no reason either, they are harmful to any wildlife they encounter and do not break down.
ReplyDelete"a study a few years ago "found that the inks and colorants used on some bags contain lead, a toxin. Every year, Americans throw away some 100 billion plastic bags after they've been used to transport a prescription home from the drugstore or a quart of milk from the grocery store. It's equivalent to dumping nearly 12 million barrels of oil."
And since you gave us stats from the UK you should know that the same country implemented a return program for re-usable bags, not so different from the deposit you get back from bottles. They understand the cons of the re-usable bags, but that doesn't mean they are pro-plastic bag
"According to the Daily Mail, "Londoners use 1.6billion plastic bags a year - for an average of just 20 minutes per bag." So basically if you can hold onto a cotton bag more than 20 minutes you're golden.
julian