How has plastic bags impacted on the environment vs paper bags?

Question

What is the solution for this? (for my question) Is reusing plastic bag could be a solution? If then how could it be? I really need a specific answer for this for my project!

Answer 1

OK, here is the straight story on plastic bags. First off, they ARE recycleable BUT, ONLY if there IS a program to actually recycle them. The problem is, that plastic bags, like all forms of plastic are NOT the same. Many are made from HDPE (High Density PolyEthylene) and stamped with the number "2" inside the little arrow triangle that's printed on the bag. Others are LDPE (Low density polyethelene) and stamped with the "1" in the triangle. So these would have to be sorted by the numbers that are stamped in the triangles to begin with, very costly and labor intensive. Additionally, different manufacturers tend to use different formulations of HDPE and LDPE in their bags (to avoid patent infringement lawsuits). This means that they would have to be further sorted out by manufacturer for uniformity in the recycling process. And THEN sorted out by color or else be satisfied with all black for recycled bags. So, as we can see, to recycle plastic bags is NOT an easy nor cheap thing to do. Another way to recycle plastic bags is to burn them in a MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) incinerator that uses the heat generated to produce steam to turn an electric turbine of uses the steam, piped to somewhere else to run some other manufacturing process. This is sort of a one time only form of recycling, because once it's burned it's gone up into Carbon Dioxide. The high temperatures of a MSW incinerator turn the plastic totally into Carbon Dioxide, no matter what folks will tell you about strange flourocarbons and other pollutants. A MSW incinerator is VERY closely monitored by the EPA and MUST meet rigid Clean Air Act standardsunder the NSPS (New Source Performance Standards Act of 1970) and under the NESHAPS (National Emmission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants Act, also of 1970). So a waste to energy incinerator IS considered by the EPA to be a form of recycling, although not one that's commonly thought of as BEING recycling by the average person.
As for paper, it IS readily recycled AND there are MANY programs to actually turn paper into NEW paper. And paper SHOULD be the bag of choice IF you are going to use a disposable material, BUT as others have already pointed out, the VERY best choice is to use cloth bags, they can be used hundreds of times over and over and when it comes time to dispose of THOSE, There are LOTS of cloth recycling programs around for those as well. They're mostly made of cotton and so are readily recycleable as well as biodegradeable in a landfill.
IF you insist on disposable bags at the stroe, and the person asks you "Paper or plastic?" ask them back "Landfill or incinerator?" If the answer is landfill, choose paper. plastic bags are very light and tend to get blown around quickly, before the daily cover is placed on top of the days collections. This can result in the area around the landfil becoming litered with blowing plastic bags, endagering wildlife and being an ugly eyesore for up to three miles around the landfill. If the answer is incinerate, then choose plastic, it's a very high quality fuel for a Waste to Energy Incinerator, gets totally converted to Carbon Dioxide and the heat energy is utilized for other purposes.
Now that I've done your presentation for you, all you need to do is look up your OWN rreferences. The PhD dissertation of mine that this info comes from is no longer on the net so that one is out ;)

Raji the Green Witch, Also PhD in Waste Management

Answer 2

In Southern California, they are trying to make plastic bags illegal (in a sense) because they keep ending up in the ocean and are harming many species of aquatic life. If their legislation passes, we will have to pay for plastic bags if that's what we want to use. Reusing plastic bags IS an option... most grocery stores will give you a five cent credit for each bag you reuse at the register. Many grocery stores also offer recycling of the plastic bags. Reuse them until they can't be anymore and then recycle them. Paper bags, of course, come from trees, but contain a lot of post consumer recycled material and are still also reusable in many, many ways. When they can't be reused any more, they can also be recycled. Paper bags don't harm the environment if they are left to blow around in the wind. They will eventually decompose (in months) and go back into the earth, replenishing the soil. Plastic will degrade, but it is not good for the soil and takes many years. I hope this helped you.

Answer 3

plastic bags do not decompose like paper bags do so they take up room in a land fill. on the other hand to make paper bags were using up trees. The best solution would be for all store to have recycling bends so that the paper and plastics would be reused.

Answer 4

It's a waste of the energy and petrochemicals needed to make the bag, and the bags simply don't biodegrade. Recycling the plastic of the existing bags into other products is the only practical solution to the problem.

Answer 5

Being an environmental educator....it takes 500 million years for a plastic bag to disinigrate, its takes a paper bag about 6 months to decompose, a reusable bag lasts a long time and is a lot stronger then both and usually free or very cheap.

Answer 6

Cloth bags are much better for the environment than plastic or paper. I like them better and like to use them, but I like an occasional plastic bag when I walk my dog or to put as a liner in smaller garbage cans. I like paper bags for storing veggies, especially large quantities of potatoes.

Answer 7

They both have impacted our environment,plastic is better than paper but neither one of them is good for our world.Yes plastic in my opinion as a recyclable product is better if people recycle,paper is recyclable but you have to cut trees down to produce-where as plastic bags can be made from previously recycled plastic therefore it becomes a more efficient solution if people recycle.The key is getting people enthused about recycling then and only then.Paper is biodegradable and plastic isnt,so therfore its bad for the environment but cutting down trees to make paper bags isnt any better.I believe its a recycleing issue.

Answer 8

well both are good. and can be used in beneficial ways.
I use paper bags for hw, crafts, prjts, storage everything. Plastic i resuse for trashbags storing, as space bags, just suck the air with the vaccuum and then tie the top. great for storage really.
but plastic bags are also bad.
have you ever been to the been near the shore and found a plastic bag floating around? yes i have, and they are dangerous to animals who mistaken them for jelyfish and try to eat them. bad for them. they get stuck, choke because their heads are stuck and can't get out,. just plain bad. it is pollution. paper is easily biodegradable. put grocery bags into compost heaps and they can degraded by the right bacteria or fungi in the soil.
what is the solution for what, the impact? your section question is way to unclear and vague to answer. sorry

Answer 9

plastic bags have clog street drains, killed marine life, and became a nuisance for people cleaning the streets. banning plastic bags is the way to go. paper bags isnt great in itself and that needs to go too. i think the best thing we can do when giving away something for customers to use to put their groceries in is cardboard boxes. of course reuing your bags is best.

Answer 10

Lol well i carry a lot of things in my purse so a plastic bag wouldnt work.