Plastic or paper bags?

A recent article in Packexpo shows ban of plastic bag will not help achieving the desired results; instead, this action will increase greenhouse gases. Paper bags create 60% more GHG emission than plastic bags. We live in a disposable society where people are quite indifferent towards recycling. The largest portion of waste is paper as well as paperboard products. Newspaper, which is called to be the most easily degradable product, takes 50 years to decompose. Dr. Rathje of the University of Arizona dug up newspapers that were 35 years old and were readable. Plastics in the US take up to 12% of landfill waste. Americans used 2.4 million tons of plastic for bags and wraps in the US in the year 2000, but according to the EPA, only 6% was recycled. A study of "Californians Against Waste" has revealed that California generates 10.8 billion disposable plastic bags. 6.5 billion Bags are generally used a year in California’s supermarkets. Only .03% of all petroleum used each year is used for plastic.

Paper bags are harmful. According to the American Forest and Paper Association, about 700 bags can be made from one 15-20 year old tree. In 1999, more than 14 million trees were felled to produce the 10 billion paper grocery bags used in that one year where a tree helps converting carbon dioxide into oxygen and are the home for birds, animals, and insects. Each tree that is felled harms this world's ecosystem and they are not planted for making paper bags. According to the American Plastics Council, it requires 20 to 40 % less energy to manufacture 2 plastic bags than to create 1 paper bag. Plastic bag manufacturing releases 92% fewer emissions into the air than paper bag production. Plastic bags weigh less so it takes less fuel to transport than paper bags. Two thousand plastic bags weigh only 30 pounds, where 2,000 paper bags weigh 280 pounds and take up more room in a landfill.

Every year the use of plastic has been increasing; on the contrary, recycling has failed. The additive-based biodegradable plastic that is formulated to degrade when buried or put into a landfill would be the option. This plastic is the answer to the landfill issues and for consumers who throw away plastic bags and packaging. This film interacts with the biota in the landfill, which in turn enables it to degrade. This ability sets it apart from other biodegradable plastics that require oxygen. This product does not produce or leave any toxic residue harmful to living organisms in land or water.

Landfill degradable plastics pass the EPA 6010 metals analysis and the EPA 8260 soil matrix test. It is compostable. It takes approximately 9 months to break down under the best of conditions, 5 years under adverse conditions in landfills. It is the only biodegradable plastic that can be recycled and reused in post consumer plastic.