To prevent the accumulation of non-biodegradable substances, many countries have banned plastic bags, resulting in a growing demand for paper-based bags. Although these bags are biodegradable, they require significantly more energy and water to produce than plastic bags, and can contribute to air and water pollution and acid rain due to toxic chemicals used in the production process. The production of these bags also contributes to deforestation if trees are cut down to make them.
Plastic bags ban
To prevent the accumulation of non-biodegradable substances, many countries have banned plastic bags, resulting in a growing demand for paper-based bags. Although these bags are biodegradable, they require significantly more energy and water to produce than plastic bags, and can contribute to air and water pollution and acid rain due to toxic chemicals used in the production process. The production of these bags also contributes to deforestation if trees are cut down to make them.
Nº 51
- Chemicals & Waste
- Waste Reduction
- Phasing Out or Substituting Plastics
Plastic bags ban
A comparison between plastic and paper shopping bags available in Sri Lanka shows that the overall environmental impact of the plastic bag tends to be lower than that of the paper version. When disaggregated, it depends on the individual impact category which of the two types of bag considered has a greater impact. Paper bags have a greater impact on categories such as stratospheric ozone depletion, human health and terrestrial acidification, while plastic bags have a greater impact on global warming, fossil resource depletion and various forms of ecotoxicity.
Pitawala, P., Danthurebandara, M., & Rajapaksha, L. (2022). Life cycle assessment of paper and plastic grocery bags used in Sri Lankan supermarkets. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 19(11), 11183–11198. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-022-03906-5
Taylor, R. L. (2019). Bag leakage: The effect of disposable carryout bag regulations on unregulated bags. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 93, 254-271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2019.01.001
Li, B., Liu, J., Yu, B., & Zheng, X. (2022, April). The Environmental Impact of Plastic Grocery Bags and Their Alternatives. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 1011, No. 1, p. 012050). IOP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1011/1/012050
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