The Plastic Bag Industry

Summary about plastic bag by Bizymoms.com Management

Plastics are classified based on their polymer backbone. Just as there are many varieties of plastic, there are several different ways to process plastic. Most plastic bags consist of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, or chlorine.

Plastic bags are usually made up of the plastic type polyethylene. Plastic bags came into the spotlight during World War II and have been popular ever since. Shopping bags, garment bags, trash bags and packing material all use polyethylene. Plastic bags in groceries are flimsy while at malls you get more sturdy types.

Petroleum and natural gas are the key ingredients that are used by the plastic bag industry. The plastic industry is now looking towards making degradable bags, like those use starch as a raw material. Plastic bag industries have spoken out against any bans that may be implemented on the use of plastic bags.

The Affect Of Plastic Bags On Our Environment

plastic shopping bags

A direct result of this is heavy dependence on plastic bags. First of all, a plastic bag can take up to 500 years to break down and decompose. Not all bags end up in a landfill, however.

In the oceans, plastic bags float and mislead turtles and other marine animals that swallow them as food. Some marine biologists think that plastic bags seem like jellyfish, an appetizer, to some marine life.

Plastic bags are thin and light which means they are easily carried by the wind. Plastic bags seem harmless enough to an adult human but they can suffocate unsuspecting animals and even babies.

Can plastic bags be burnt and got rid of that way? So next time you pick up a plastic bag, thinking it’s so convenient, light and cheap, think again.

You may want to read articles about cellophane bags and blister packaging.

Paper Gift Bags for Green Wrapping

A lot of money is spent each year on wrapping paper, gift bags, and ribbons. Unfortunately, all these wrapping materials become wastes in a minute. Did you know that a lot of gift wrap can’t be recycled due very high metals content? Plastics and other materials used either on their own or combined with paper goes directly to the dump.

Paper gift bags can be reused; they are a good solution for keeping unnecessary waste out of landfills. If you are thinking on giving someone a gift, try to choosing recyclable gift wrap: no metals, plastics, etc. Use gift bags made out of recyclable. For that, paper gift bags are good choice. Do not using foil, plastic bows or ribbon. Reusing paper bags will not only help the environment but will benefit your budget as well.

Besides using recycled wrapping paper and gift bags, you can also get a little creative by using old posters or magazines as wrapping paper. Use your own creativity to come out with an appealing paper bag by choosing suitable decoration paper. With a few good paper gift bag ideas up your sleeve, you can soon be finding uses for them for many other things.

Other materials used to make green wrapping paper gift bags are recycled office paper and recycled rags. When purchasing recycled wrapping paper, watch for products with 100 percent post-consumer waste (PCW) content and processed chlorine-free (PCF) paper products. This means that no additional chlorine was used to bleach the recycled paper product.

Paper or Plastic – The Debate Over Grocery Store Bags

Executive summary about Gift Bags By Matty Byloos

So which will it be then, paper OR plastic, hmmm? Understanding the impact that paper and plastic bags have on the environment is a great place to start.

white paper gift bags

Paper Bags and Recycling

After a paper bag is used, it will either end up in a landfill or it will be recycled. Eventually, after many years, the paper bag will break down in the landfill. At the recycling center, through the use of chemicals to break down the materials and clean them, the paper becomes pulp once more. Paper bags eventually break down and can be composted, unless they are covered with printing and ink.

Plastic Bags and Recycling

Recycling of plastic bags can take place many times before the material becomes too brittle to go through the process; after these stages of recycling, it can still take on another use as a different functional product.

When plastic is burned during recycling, it can create dioxins and release heavy metals into the atmosphere; the ash from burning plastic is toxic and needs special consideration during disposal. In landfills, plastic does not break down – it always remains plastic, maybe just in smaller pieces that mix in with the earth.

Paper or Plastic?

The manufacture of both paper and plastic bags burns through natural resources, and both cause damage to the environment during production. While paper is more recycle-able than plastic, it also results in the destruction of more resources through the process of paper production. I think if you are going to use paper OR plastic bags at the super market, I would say to make sure you maximize the uses you get out of either, and more importantly, be sure to recycle.

Also, You may want to read articles about Burlap Bags or Sand Bag.