We all are working tirelessly in our own way towards making our planet a better place to live. By mending some of your everyday practices you can contribute in this effort. Everybody has acknowledged how harmful plastic use can be. Just using plastic bags can impact the environment immensely and endanger the lives of many species. However, paper bags also do not fare any better.
Here are some facts that show us the reality vividly –
How Long Does It Take to Decompose?
You might be shocked to hear that it may take up to 15 to 1000 years for plastic bags to decompose. Plastic is a non-biodegradable material and it can really break down only through a process called photodegradation. With exposure to light, it breaks down, but into tiny toxic fragments.
When you know this disadvantage of plastic, you should better stick with eco-friendly products. Custom Earth Promos have been specially known for their custom eco-friendly reusable bags. You can order reusable grocery bags in bulk here, that also in factory direct prices. This is a well-reviewed sustainable company based in Florida, USA.
Taking Millions of Lives
Every year millions of creatures like birds and marine lives die by ingesting plastic wastes. When we intake such affected fishes or seafoods we might have food poisoning. You can even find sea turtles and birds entangled in plastic wastes. It restricts their movement and lead to death or injury.
Recycling
An estimate shows that in just United States only 2% of plastic bags go for recycling and the rest remain in landfills and waterbodies polluting the soil and water. Moreover, you have to spend a hefty amount to recycle these wastes. Don’t think that since plastic bags are cheap to buy its production cost would also be less. Every year we use millions of barrels of oil to produce these plastic bags and waste precious non-renewable resources.
Pollution
At first you might not realize but you dispose plastic bags more frequently than any other alternatives. Since they are non-biodegradable, they pile up in the landfills rapidly. With their light weight they litter around easily from one place to another. It can block drains, clutter the coastlines, leak toxic wastes and pollute the environment.
The Fate of Paper Bags
Paper bags may be biodegradable but think about the trees cut down to produce the same. The energy to produce a single paper bag is 13% more than to produce two plastic bags. Even this production process uses high temperature and chemicals. It releases same amount of toxins that it does with plastic bags.
When you talk about recycling, only 20% find their way and the rest goes to landfills. Though they are highly biodegradable, in landfills that’s a whole new story. They don’t get the right environment to decompose at a faster rate.
You won’t lose out on style, design, size and material when you get to reusable bags. You can use these bags for a longer period of time if you take proper care. It’s much safe to use eco-friendly reusable bags over a plastic or paper bag.