Every time we go to the store, we are deciding between paper and plastic. Although both provide the same kind of service, they have entirely different impacts on the environment.
American use billions of plastic bags each year and to curb the number of bags thrown after each usage, there are taxes and bans going on for plastic bags around major cities of the world. However, paper bags are reusable and are far better for the environment as well.
In this blog post, we are going to discuss paper and plastic bags in light of parameters like biodegradable, recyclable, and general consumer footprint so that consumers will know what they are choosing.
Paper and Plastic Bags: Fundamentals
Paper Bags
Paper bag are composed of wood pulp, which is a natural renewable material. They are primarily used for grocery shopping, packaging, and retail purposes. Paper bag are perceived to be more environmentally friendly because they are easier to decompose and recycle.
Plastic Bags
Plastic bags are made of polyethylene from either petroleum or natural gas. These are lightweight, tough, and waterproof.
Thus, they have become so very commonly used to carry goods. Unfortunately, the ecological implications of the same are enormous since plastic does not break down very fast, and plastic litter increases at a fantastic pace.
Biodegradable: Which of the Two Degrades Quickly?
Paper bags leave the environmental perspective and have more crucial differences especially on the rates of decomposition into nature.
In paper bags: paper bags begin to decay approximately within weeks and months, the reason being organic, while the offensive and harmful products formed in the aftermath are not experienced with such packets.
Plastic Bags: They take centuries to break down; they decompose slightly but also break off into microplastic, small plastic particles that will find a way into the environment and, therefore, threaten wildlife.
Recyclability and Reusability
These are what make any material sustainable.
Paper Bags:
- Paper bags get recycled highly; most communities can break them down.
- Paper recycling, however, consumes water and energy.
- Wet or oily paper bags of fast-food foods cannot be recycled and are essentially, found buried deep inside the landfills.
Plastic Bags:
- Theoretically recyclable Plastic bags aren’t normally included in the majority of curbside collections because their lightweight character tends to clog up machinery.
- A few super-markets are provided with special recycling boxes for plastic bags.
- Shoppers’s plastic carrier bags are the lining of any packaging bag to be reused a few times before thinking of setting them into waste.
Ecological Impact: Energy and Resources Utilized
Conveniences of energy and resources consumed to manufacture and recycle a commodity. Wholesale custom paper bag manufacturer can provide an amazing solution for using paper bags.
Paper Bags
- Four times as much energy as for as many plastic bags.
- Makes more water than plastic, therefore impacting its availability.
- Part of the habitat is lost as trees from the forests where they are cut to make paper, besides destroying the homes of animals in the woods.
Plastics Bags
- Energy production is reduced as making plastic bags has a lesser need for energy than producing paper uses.
- Dependent on fossil fuels: Plastic bags are manufactured based on non-renewable fossil fuels, contributing to increasing the levels of carbon emission.
- Long-term pollution: The primary adverse effect that plastic bags pose is that they contribute to ocean and land pollution. This affects the marine life and marine ecosystems.
Wildlife Impact
Both paper and plastic bag are impactful on wildlife, though plastic bags are much more dangerous than paper bag.
Plastic Bags: Plastic bags poison, starve, or hang themselves in the throat of many marine animals and birds. The fragmentations of plastic bags turn into microplastics and enter the food chain with an impact on both humans and animals.
Paper Bags: Paper bags are nontoxic to animals but lead to habitat destruction. According to research, paper bags biodegrade for such a short time that they cannot really impact wildlife for an extended period of time in worse ways.
Consumer Convenience: Strength and Practicality
Despite not being environment-friendly, consumers look at the practicality of things.
Paper Bags
- It is tough and stiff but crumbly and breaks easily, more so when wet.
- It can accommodate heavier payloads; however, it often has to be double-bagged.
- It is bulkier thus taking extra space for storage and transport.
Plastic Bags
- It is light and pliable and provides easier carrying and storing.
- It is waterproof. Hence, contents are preserved from rain or spill.
- More resistant; thus, it can be reused several times before it breaks.
Which is Better?
These cannot be just paper or plastic bag. Paper bags are biodegradable and widely recyclable; it takes much more energy to make them, while many more resources than plastic bags are used much more frequently, requiring much less energy in production but causing much pollution and taking hundreds of years to decompose.
Good Consumer Practices:
- Reuse before waste: Be it paper or plastic, the same bag reused saves waste.
- Recyclable option: Choose a recyclable bag so that they do not pile up and create environmental hazards.
- Reusable bags: The most eco-friendly option would be reusable fabric or tote bags, which last for many years and reduce the overall quantity of waste.
Dispose of the bags appropriately. In the case of plastic, seek a program that will collect the plastic before dumping it.
Conclusion
Paper bags have both positive and negative aspects, and the same applies to plastic bags. These bags are easier to decompose and recycle than plastic bags; however, paper bags consume more energy and resources in making them.
Plastic bags, although not strong and have less energy consumption, cause much pollution and put wildlife in serious jeopardy.
I believe the future should be minimal use of one-time-use bags and as much as durable and reusable as possible. That conscious choice will reduce our footprint on the environment and help in building a healthier planet for generations to come.
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