Today’s topic will be the environmental impact of reusable grocery bags, which is becoming more common as more countries around the world ban plastic shopping bags. The United States, the UK, and many other countries in the EU are in a race against the clock to find alternatives to plastic bags. Reusable grocery bags in cotton, hemp, and paper seem to be the solution to this problem. They look great, but are they worth the effort? In a matter of moments, we will find out.
Plastic bags: The main problem
The world seems to be drowning under piles upon piles of plastic bags. We need to take immediate action to stop further environmental damage.
People recycle less than 5 percent of plastic globally, which is a tiny fraction of the nearly 1 trillion plastic bags that are used annually worldwide.
Cotton / Canvas Shopping Bags
We have seen a lot of emphases placed on the eco-friendly use of canvas shopping bags in recent years. A few years ago, there was much debate about the eco-friendliness and safety of canvas shopping bags.
Custom Reusable Bags have a low environmental impact if they are used regularly. Using a canvas or cotton tote bag to shop is nearly the same as using plastic bags.
What does it take for cotton or canvas shopping bags to be environmentally friendly? Let’s see what you can do:
Get a few canvas or cotton shopping bags in various sizes, shapes, and types. If you keep them close to your body, such as in your trunk, you’ll feel less inclined to buy plastic bags when you go grocery shopping.
More Custom Reusable Bags mean you can manage all kinds of groceries better, so you can eliminate plastic bags.
The main problem with shopping bags is their disposal. You can reuse a plastic bag for a few occasions and even as garbage bag but eventually, plastic shopping bags will become less durable.
Canvas and cotton shopping bags, on the other hand, are more durable to wear and tear. They can be reused when they reach their end. If you need to use a 100-pack cotton shopping bag to make it eco-friendly, this will not be a problem.
Paper Shopping Bags
Paper is biodegradable making it eco-friendly. However, paper bags require significant amounts of water, electricity, and trees to make. You might consider using recycled paper as shopping bags. However, this is not a wise strategy. Recycled paper is fragile and will not hold groceries.
We must also consider the benefits of using paper shopping bags.
Reusing paper bags properly can make them eco-friendly over their life span and beyond.
Paper bags have a main advantage: they can be recycled or composted.
It is important to think beyond the production costs and requirements when assessing the environmental impact of a reusable grocery bag. Although plastic bags are more economical and require less carbon.
Cotton shopping bags can be reused even if they are not being used anymore. Paper bags can be recycled, composted, or incinerated. Even though cotton bags and paper bags may end up in landfills, they can be biodegradable which is better for the environment.
In other words, both cotton and canvas bags, as well as paper bags, are better choices for the environment than plastic bags.
What about nonwoven polypropylene bags?
These nonwoven polypropylene bags are becoming more popular. These bags can be purchased at your local supermarket as reusable grocery bags. This plastic material is extremely durable and can withstand wear and tear. These bags are waterproof and can be cleaned with water.
You should also be aware that studies have shown they have a lower carbon footprint to produce. These are the facts you should know about nonwoven, polypropylene bags.
They should be reused at least fifty times to make them eco-friendly. This is a minimum of once per week for a whole year.
They resist wear, tear, and the elements making them easy to reuse. Both paper and cotton bags can get wet and sustain weather damage.
They can transport very heavy loads, making them more convenient for shopping than paper bags which are limited in their ability to carry heavy loads.
You can wash cotton shopping bags with water or stains removers, but their environmental impact will increase the more you use water, electricity, and detergents to clean them.
Conclusion
Plastic is threatening our oceans and lands, so we must find other options to save wildlife and ecosystems. Although plastic bags are cheaper and more harmful than cotton bags, we can’t ignore their life cycle or afterlife.
Research continues to show that using canvas bags and nonwoven polyester bags is the smartest and most eco-conscious option. This is better than contributing to the oceanic garbage patches and landfills.