Are reusable grocery bags good or bad for the environment?

For every news article that tells us ‘Reusable bags are better for the environment’ there seems to be another one saying ‘Reusable bags are not really eco-friendly’.

The arguments for and against the environmental sustainability of reusable shopping bags can be confusing, so what’s the truth?

WHY DO WE NEED REUSABLE BAGS?

Our ever-increasing use of disposable plastic bags is causing problems around the world, including environmental damage, climate change and pollution, damage to wildlife and natural habitats, and harm to human health.

Reusable bags can help solve these problems by reducing the number of single-use plastic bags manufactured and discarded every day.

WHAT IMPACT DO REUSABLE GROCERY BAGS HAVE ON THE ENVIRONMENT?

There is a wide range of reusable bags available today; some are better for the environment than others due to the materials used, manufacturing processes and end-of-life disposal.

All bags – including those sold as ‘eco-friendly’ – have some environmental impact. Reusable bags are generally stronger and heavier. It takes more resources to make them, resulting in a larger environmental footprint.

However, they can be used hundreds of times which makes them more environmentally friendly in the long run.

The impact of a reusable grocery bag on the environment depends on:

1. How it’s made
2. How it’s used

Here’s what you need to know about how bags are made: 

Natural fabric bags

Some natural-fibre bags such as cotton and canvas have a significant impact on the environment due to the way the crops are grown and processed.

While cotton is a renewable material, its production requires large quantities of water, pesticides, energy and fertilizers.

If you are interested in buying a cotton tote and want to keep your environmental impact as low as possible… Choose organic and recycled cotton, or calico, an unbleached cotton material that undergoes less processing.

Hemp and jute (also called hessian or burlap) need less pesticide and fertilizer than cotton, but still use a significant amount of water in cultivation.

Plastic reusable bags

Many different types of plastic can be used to make reusable bags. As plastic is a non-renewable source and the manufacturing process contributes to climate change, they have a large environmental footprint.

Reusable bags made from recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) are a more eco-friendly choice.  Made from recycled plastic bottles, PET fabric has an almost 90% lower carbon footprint than nylon, and 75% lower than polyester.

To give them added strength and durability, however, reusable bags are often manufactured using more than one material. This can make them harder to recycle, which increases their environmental impact as they must be incinerated or sent to landfill.

Key Takeaway: Reusable grocery bags made from recycled materials are significantly more environmentally friendly than similar bags made from virgin plastic materials.

Considering all the negatives, how can a reusable bag be more eco-friendly than a disposable plastic bag?

It’s all about how often you use it.

Here’s what you need to know about how bags are used:

When are reusable bags more eco-friendly than single use plastic bags?

The more you use them the more eco-friendly they become…

A UK study concluded that whatever type of bag is used, the key to reducing the impact is to reuse it as many times as possible.

Studies have shown that conventional disposable bags have a lower environmental impact than reusable bags if you compare them for a single use.

As you use a reusable bag over and over, it becomes more environmentally friendly than disposable bags.

The minimum number of times each bag must be reused in order to be more environmentally friendly than a single use disposable bag varies:

• Cotton tote bag – 173 times
• Typical fold up reusable bag – non-woven polypropylene (PP) – 14 times
• Paper bag – 4 times
• Recycled plastic bag – 2 times or less

Get the full breakdown here: Disposable vs Reusable: Environmental Impact Evaluation

Reusing the bags at least this number of times ensures that they have a lower global warming potential and are more eco-friendly than conventional disposable HDPE bags you get at checkout.

Do reusable bags really reduce my environmental footprint?

Yes, absolutely – but only if you use them again and again.

In terms of sustainability, reusable bags are just like many other products that we buy. Whether we buy clothes or shoes, furniture or food, it’s more eco-friendly if we use it to its fullest potential.

Throwing away unused or under-utilized items is a waste of resources, so don’t just buy a reusable bag – use it, reuse it… then use it some more. 

Learn more about the plastic problem and how we can solve it:

The Problem with Plastic

Solving The Plastic Problem

Find A Solution

Second Life Tote: More sustainable on 1st use. Made from recycled plastic, this tote has the lowest breakeven point of any bag on the market. Check it out >>

The Daily – Pack Down: Goes with you anywhere – designed to be used daily – hundreds of times. Never forget your reusable again. Check it out >>

Produce Reusables: Don’t forget about your veggies. Plastic produce bags are so unnecessary. Replace them with a simple and reusable alternative. Check it out >>

It seems we are hearing about plastic a lot these days. The environmental impact of disposable bags, the nearly 20 billion pounds of plastic entering our oceans each year, the rising amount of sea life whose lives are endangered from plastic – The list goes on and on.

But just how pervasive is this plastic problem? New research has found evidence of plastic pollution ranging from the deepest depths of the ocean all the way up to the remote Swiss mountains. Our plastic problem is, in all actuality, all around us.

Scientists have begun extensive research into plastics and their effect on the environment, and their research is becoming truly alarming. The most recent findings take us all the way down to the Mariana Trench, up through Point Nemo, the most remote point in the ocean, to the nature reserves of the Swiss mountains.

Over 10,000 m below sea level lies the Mariana Trench. Located just east of the Philippines, the Mariana Trench is the deepest section of the world’s oceans. A study published by the Global Oceanographic Data Center (GODAC) in Japan in April 2018 documented single-use plastic debris found in the trench as early as 1998.

The study also found that 92% of the plastic analyzed at depths greater than 6,000 m were made up of single-use plastics. Scientists claim to have found more chemical pollutants in parts of the Mariana Trench than some of China’s most polluted waterways, and as much as 17% of the debris was found with at least one organism – entangled, covered, or “attached”.

Another remote ocean area, Point Nemo, was discovered to have up to 27 microplastic particles per cubic meter. Point Nemo is nearly 1,700 miles from an inhabited island and deemed the “oceanic pole of inaccessibility”, yet plastics have seemed to find their way there.

And lastly, a study conducted by the Geographic Society of the University of Bern found that even in the most remote, unsettled mountain areas of Switzerland, whose recycling rate is nearly 100%, microplastics still pervade. Of the 29 floodplains studied, 90% of the soils contained microplastics, evidence of wind transport of plastic particles.

Evidence from this study has spurred even further research into microplastics, with increased concern with traces of plastic in soil, domestic livestock, and even agriculture.

It is becoming more and more apparent through studies such as these that action against plastic needs to happen immediately.

The extent of our plastic problem continues to expand and public concern is continuing to rise. There are many plastic alternatives out there to substitute for single-use plastics and regulation is continuing to expand, including the EU and the U.K.’s strategies to cut plastic pollution.

However, much and more needs to be done if we are to truly remedy the permeating and ubiquitous presence of plastic around the world.

In the late 1980’s, large islands of floating trash seen by satellites were reported in the global news. Swirls of trash concentrated by the movement of the oceans’ gyres gave another hint to the then naïve public that our planet is finite after all. The world population—as of early 2018—is estimated at 7.6 billion; all contributing waste and debris to some extent.

Only one hundred years ago—when the world population had not yet reached 2 billion—trash was at worst unsightly or smelly but it was relatively harmless. Back then it eventually degraded and was not ultimately toxic to life.

In the early 1900’s, the first synthetic plastics were invented, giving way to the “plastic revolution”. As we found more uses for these new lightweight, cheap, and strong wonder materials, plastics rapidly found their way into most industries.

Today, plastics are a part of our daily lives and their prevalence can be a little overwhelming, especially when we are not welcoming them.

Our natural areas, waterways, and oceans have been polluted by plastic waste at an alarming level. It is at such an extent that gyres of plastic can be seen from space! It’s estimated that every square mile of ocean contains around 46,000 pieces of floating plastic.

While plastic debris is an eyesore and a threat to wildlife, the majority of the trash in the ocean is not even visible and poses its own threats.

A large portion of the plastic in the oceans is microplastics, composed of synthetic plastic particles so small they can barely be seen with the naked eye. The minute debris is so small and often suspended under the surface, making it invisible to satellites or even from the deck of a passing ship.

Microplastic pollution comes from countless sources, most prominently from cosmetic and household products, synthetic clothing fibers and industrial abrasives. Microplastics also result when larger pieces of plastic eventually break apart—not degrade, but break into smaller and smaller pieces.

Thin, single use plastics like disposable bags are one of the biggest offenders finding their way into our oceans.

Most plastics, when hit with UV radiation from the sun, begin to break down and gradually become microplastics over time.

A significant enough amount of microplastics now exist in marine environments to be detected in the bodies of fish sampled from different parts of the ocean. Fish and other marine creatures consume the microplastics, concentrating them in their bodies up the food chain. Humans included! People have tested positive as well for microplastics in their bodies.

Why does this matter?

Plastics are created from petroleum—hydrocarbons that when concentrated in the body are toxic. The liver and digestive system struggle and depending on the type and concentration of the synthetic particles many are known carcinogens. Synthetic substances, when regularly consumed, potentially contribute to disease due to a toxic cellular environment. The introduction of synthetic molecules into the Earth’s environment has created a toxic soup in the air, water and soil of the planet. The microplastic issue is just one aspect of the global pollution problem caused by humans! Life in many ways is now marinating in toxins.

What can I do about microplastics?

Avoid products that include plastics, especially microplastic particles. Most common brands of face scrubs, such as Neutregena and other Johnson & Johnson products, contain tiny plastic beads acting as abrasives. Skip those types of products, read the ingredients and avoid chemicals like Polyethylene (PE). This will help to reduce the amount of plastics being flushed through water treatment facilities which eventually end up in our water systems and potentially in wildlife.

Purchase natural fibers derived from plants when possible (e.g. cotton, bamboo or hemp).

Remember to bring—and use—reusable grocery bags. If you don’t have a good alternative to plastic bags, you can reduce your impact by reusing your “single use” plastic as many times as possible. Even using plastic bags as trash can liners is a valid way to reuse them and slightly reduce your environmental impact.

When purchasing anything, choose merchandise with minimal packaging and with the least amount of plastics as possible. Remember that you’re not only reducing your use of plastic by being selective but you’re also voting with your wallet – telling brands that excessively use plastic that you’re going to find an alternative.

All of our individual actions add up over time. Don’t forget that your daily actions DO make a difference!

It has become common practice around the world to use disposable plastic bags to assist us in our every day lives. Out of mere convenience and utility, the plastic bag has become a go-to resource for in-store purchases, big or small.

However, in light of current of research pointing to the environmental impacts of plastic bags, many cities, states, and countries have sought to change this through regulation and legislation.

Impact of Plastic Bags on The Environment

According to the Earth Policy Institute, 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year. For every 100 billion plastic bags being made, 12 million barrels of crude oil are being allocated to their production. Equivocally, a car could drive for one mile on the energy required to produce 12 plastic bags.

And most of these are not being recycled. Instead, they are ending up in lakes and oceans, on beaches, in landfills, and even in our own food chain. This is because rather than breaking down over time, they are simply breaking into smaller and smaller pieces.

Legislation on Plastic Bags Around the World

Due to the mounting environmental concerns, legislation is being passed across the globe to mitigate the manufacture and use of disposable plastic bags. The first plastic bag law went into effect in Denmark in 1993, which implemented a tax on the use of plastic bags. Ireland introduced the Bag Tax in 2002, reducing plastic bag use by 90 percent.

Bangladesh became the first country to outright ban thin plastic bags in 2002 after two major floods in 1989 and 1998, which were magnified due to plastic bag waste blocking drains and sewers.

China began enforcing plastic bag bans and regulations in 2008, just before hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics. This eventually caused their largest plastic bag factory to shut down.

Other countries that have enacted regulations on plastic bags include Kenya, the Phillippines, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, and more.

Legislation on Plastic Bags in the U.S.

As of 2016, legislation regarding plastic bag bans spanned 23 states and included 77 bills. Notable city-wide bans are now enforced in Austin, Chicago, Seattle, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In 2014, California became the first U.S. state to ban disposable plastic bags statewide. Since then, a de facto statewide ban on plastic bags has been enforced in Hawaii, and the District of Columbia has passed a law banning the distribution of disposable, non-recyclable plastic bags.

However, many states in the U.S. have passed legislation prohibiting regulations on disposable plastic bags. Preemptive legislation that prevents cities, towns, or counties from regulating the sale and distribution of plastic bags is enforced in nine different U.S. states, including Arizona, Michigan, Florida, and Wisconsin.

What you can do about plastic bags…

The ban on disposable plastic bag use is gaining momentum and there are many ways you can contribute to this movement.

The most effective way to impose change is by writing your state representative. It is the job of your legislators to pass laws based on the values of their constituents. Voice your opposition to disposable plastic bags directly to those who can enact change.

In addition to directly contacting your representative, you can also make your voice heard through one of the many campaigns started to ban plastic bags, such as Greenpeace or Clean Up (The Project).

Sometimes the politics behind such a significant change can seem daunting. If you’re looking to promote change on a more local level, contact your local grocer to express your concern.

And finally, bring your own bag! By bringing your own bag to the store with you, you are easily able to say “No, thank you,” to plastic disposable bags when offered. Just because they are not legally banned in your city or state, doesn’t mean you have to use them.