A plastic bag is any bag made out of a thin flexible plastic film. Plastic bags can be classified by the grade and type of plastic that is used and by the design of the bag. The most common material that is used to manufacture plastic bags is polyethylene. Plastic shopping bags are used the world over as an easy way to carry items bought.
Why recycle plastic:
The high molecular size of most plastics is one of the reasons that these materials are resistant to biodegradation. It is due to this lack of biodegradation that plastic proves to be a problem. Plastic in land fills constitutes up to 20% of the content in American landfills. These plastics are found to accumulate at the rate of 25 million tons per year. This means that the average American uses 80kg of plastic a year, while a European uses 60kg per year.
Plastics, when disposed of in an improper manner, can lead to blocking of drainage systems or interfere with marine ecological systems if disposed in the sea. Turtles for example are known to consume plastic bags as the bags are mistaken for jellyfish.
Plastic bags are usually an expense that does not provide any return, for most businesses. Encouraging customers with incentives and discounts to use alternatives such as calico bags or other reusable bags will help cut costs and save the environment at the same time. The cost of rectifying environmental problems caused by plastic bags in any society is huge, with a significant economic impact. The solution to this is either legal legislation that bans the use of plastic bags or for retailers of all sizes to initiate measures to cut down on the use of plastic, by providing alternate solutions such as reusable bags for their customers.
Biodegradable plastic bags:
Biodegradable plastic bags are a new way to ensure that you are not adding to plastic pollution. These bags are made of components such as corn starch and are designed to degrade in a landfill after a maximum period of 6 months. One of the byproducts released in the process is methane which helps the composting process. One drawback of these bags is that they are not suitable for recycling. These bags are still considered to be a niche solution. Plastic bags today are manufactured using 70% less polymer than those bags that were manufactured 20 years ago �� �
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