Bee-Eazy Reusable Bag Buzz

All About Biodegradable Bags

What About Biodegradable Bags?

Biodegradable shopping bags are made of polymers that degrade, or decompose, when exposed to air, water or sunlight. There are two main types:

1) The original biodegradable bags, introduced about ten years ago, are made from resins containing polyethylene, starches and heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, and beryllium. They are still on the market today.

2) About five years ago, a second type was invented using starches combined with biodegradable polymers or polylactic acid. Some of these claim to be fully compostable, meaning that they would break down to organic material suitable for plant growth.

At first glance, they may seem like a good idea, but a closer look reveals significant downsides such as:

·         They do nothing to address the consumption part of this problem which lies at the heart of this issue. Both biodegradable and regular disposable plastic bags require a similar amount of energy, natural resources and costs to produce.

·         Mixing of biodegradable bags in recycling systems for conventional plastic bags creates a sorting nightmare and can render entire batches of recyclable plastic useless.

·         Bag littering could easily increase as people start to believe that biodegradable bags are less harmful to the environment and will disappear quickly it takes at least 18 months for most to breakdown.

·         The breakdown of starch-based films in water consumes oxygen, resulting in oxygen depletion that contributes to algae blooms and the death of marine life.

·         Water, soil, and crop contamination could result from the use of compost with chemical residues from biodegraded bags.

AUDIO CLIP: Companies Push to Use Biodegradable Plastic Bags

npr, All Things Considered 04.07.08

As more and more cities and states consider plastic bag bans and tax proposals, companies are beginning to weigh their options. Biodegradable plastic bags are designed to quickly break down. But where does the plastic go?... The story also cites a staggering statistic: every year US plastic bag consumption = nine billion pounds. Listen to story…

Our Take: This is a classic case of a good idea gone bad.  While many companies may look to these bags as a way of promoting green methods biodegradable bags do nothing to get to the root cause of the consumption problem.   What may seem like a wonderful idea comes along with a host of problems (e.g.  problems and changes will be required with recycling efforts, they don’t address the real problem: consumption, the plastic pollution never really goes away.  This is a perfect example of a seemingly good idea that truly does more harm than good.   

recycling efforts, they don’t get at the heart of the problem: consumption, etc. – click here for more…) This is a perfect example of a seemingly good idea that truly does more harm than good.)


Link: Manufacturers Push Biodegradable Plastic Bags