Studies have emerged showing reusable bags such as the green bags commonly sold at Coles and Woolworths have to be used 104 times (weekly for two years) to make them more environmentally friendly than those grey single-use plastic bags.
This is because it takes more material and energy to make the green bags. It’s also worth noting that these bags are also made of plastic.
Other non-plastic alternatives can also be problematic.
A 2016 report by the NSW Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found a cotton bag had to be used 131 times to equal the environmental impact of those single-use plastic supermarket bags used just once.
The catch with these bags is that jute is mostly grown overseas and so there is a carbon cost to transporting it.
It’s quite clear there is no perfect alternative and many people appear to be using this to suggest that a plastic bag ban is pointless or even just a way for supermarkets to make money.
I got 4 of those eco bags behind the seat in my truck but I always forget to take them into the store with me.
same here.. but I still buy the “cheap” plastic to go from the store to the car… then I put them in the “eco” bags, since they’re stronger to take upstairs 🙂
When I did use those bags the girl at the till would load all my apple juice and milk into one bag and it nearly requires a retarded boy scout to lift that much weight. No common sense these days.
I probably have 20 behind my driver’s seat but I do use some of them and some are “cooler” bags that are imperative this time of year.
The solution should be just find a better way to collect the plastic bags with our regular recycling.
I buy all these bags and then forget them, lose them or when I have to give something to someone, I put it in one and then give it to that person. Also not to mention that people don’t wash them so they become contaminated.
Honest? I find plastic bags way more useful.
Is this just comparing the cost of making and shipping it? Or is disposal considered?