The Plastic Bag Tells Its Story

Plastics are a part of our lives in multiple ways, many of which we take for granted. Plastic bags are one of the most identifiable uses of plastic for the everyday consumer, and are prominent in the shopping segments of consumer industry. People use plastic bags for carrying hundreds of goods and items, with many bags stamped and printed with various brand names.

According to the Worldwatch Institute, Americans throw away over 100 billion polyethylene plastic bags, and only 0.6% are actually recycled. The space taken up in landfills, along with the concerns of environmental discarding that can wreck havoc on wildlife, animals, plants, and nature have bought concern to the forefront of many organizations. The Film and Bag Federation was formed as a business unit of the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) and serves as the platform for environmental and legislative issues regarding plastic film and bags.

When it comes to reducing waste, plastic bags are a better choice than paper grocery bags as they cost less energy to be reused, recycled, and take up less space as waste products. Plastic bags are recyclable, however, and your nearest plastic bag location site can be found by calling 1-800-438-5856. Some supermarkets even offer a small discount for reusing your own plastic bags; this is common practice in Europe, and Ireland enforced a per-bag tax in 2002 to improve its efforts in environmental awareness.

Americans began using plastic bags most frequently in the early 1960s, at the onset of increasing supermarkets and greater needs for hauling multiple types of goods. Although many often fear that plastic as a non bio-degradable material serves a negative role in waste management, it is interesting to note that paper grocery bags fare worse in the long run. Paper takes up more landfill space, and requires a much larger percentage of energy during its recycling process. Canvas bags are a sustainable option and alternative to frequent bag users, and many consumers have resorted to taking their own canvas bags and totes on shopping trips.