What Bag Should You Use?

English Day - 29 April 2021

Grocery bags today come in a variety of plastic, paper, and cotton bags. From all the news and go-green activism in media, we know plastic bags are harmful to the environment. But why exactly? Let’s see how the production and use of these bags impact the environment by analyzing its carbon footprints, how it’s reuse and recycle, and lastly its degradability.

 

Carbon Footprint

Plastic bags we often see in grocery stores and our homes are made of polyethylene or also known as HDPE. Its production takes quite a lot of steps and includes a lot of parties. The whole process emits an estimated 1.6 kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Moreover, Paper bags are made of wood. Its production results in high demands for wood and removing trees from their ecosystem. One paper bag is estimated to emit 5.5 kg of carbon dioxide. Furthermore, Cotton production is a water-intensive process. A single cotton bag is estimated to emit 272 kg of carbon dioxide. Thus, looking at their carbon footprints alone, plastic bags produce the least amount of carbon dioxide while cotton bags produce the highest.

 

Reuse and Recycle

Environmental impact does not depend on carbon footprints alone. It is also based on how it is used. The number of times that a bag is used will decrease demand for new production. Reusing and recycling can offset their carbon footprint. If a paper bag is a reuse 3 times, the total of their carbon footprints is lower than a single plastic bag. While cotton bags’ carbon footprints will be lower than one plastic bag if it is used 131 times. Cotton bags are most likely to be reuse since paper bags are easily torn and while plastic bags are durable, they are often thrown away after a single-use.

 

Degradability

Plastic bags are heat resistant and hard to decompose. It takes 500 years or more for plastic bags to decompose. Even if 500 years have passed, plastic does not decompose completely. They become microplastics that are toxic to the environment and the human body. On the other hand, paper bags degrade completely in 90 days and cotton bags degrade in just a few months.

 

So out of all these options, what bag should you use? While the best choice out of these common three options is cotton bags, there is another option that is more environmental-friendly which are polyester, vinyl, and nylon bags. They are partly made of cotton so they are durable and reusable but also partly plastic which has the lowest carbon footprints, making it the best choice for your next grocery trip.

 

By Felicia M/XIIA1/11

 

Source: https://osisbid10.blogspot.com/2021/03/what-bag-should-you-use.html

Tags:

Informasi Terkini seputar sekolah kristen BPK PENABUR

Daftar Indeks Berita Terbaru dari BPK Penabur

Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 18 March 2025
Informasi Ketentuan Daftar Ulang dan Penetapan Ua...
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 17 March 2025
Serunya Bikin Sambel Kucai
Serunya Bikin Sambel Kucai
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 17 March 2025
Video Kegiatan Live In SMAK 5 PENABUR Jakarta Day...
Video Kegiatan Live In SMAK 5 PENABUR Jakarta Day...
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 15 March 2025
Workshop Cyber Security: Mengamankan Diri di Duni...
Workshop Cyber Security: Mengamankan Diri di Duni...
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 10 March 2025
Ibadah Jelang Asesmen Akhir Sekolah Kelas XII SMA...
Ibadah Jelang Asesmen Akhir Sekolah Kelas XII SMA...
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 21 February 2024
Leadership Day, Pameran Karya Siswa
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 18 February 2024
Dari Leadership Day Aku Belajar
Dari Leadership Day Aku Belajar
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 16 February 2024
Leadership, Pengelolaan Potensi Diri
Leadership, Pengelolaan Potensi Diri
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 01 February 2024
Sosialisasi Perguruan Tinggi Negeri di SMAK 5 PEN...
Sosialisasi Perguruan Tinggi Negeri di SMAK 5 PEN...
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 03 February 2024
Kegiatan ACES di SMAK 5 PENABUR Jakarta
Kegiatan ACES di SMAK 5 PENABUR Jakarta
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 11 October 2020
Jadwal Pelajaran Kelas XI 12-16 Oktober 2020
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 11 October 2020
Jadwal Pelajaran Kelas X 12-16 Oktober 2020
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 04 October 2020
Jadwal Pelajaran Kelas XII 5-9 Oktober 2020
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 04 October 2020
Jadwal Pelajaran Kelas XI 5-9 Oktober 2020
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 04 October 2020
Jadwal Pelajaran Kelas X 5-9 Oktober 2020
Berita Lainnya - 01 June 2024
Selamat Hari Lahir Pancasila 2024
Berita Lainnya - 28 May 2024
In Your Glorious Heavens, Fathers, You Show Me Th...
In Your Glorious Heavens, Fathers, You Show Me Th...
Berita Lainnya - 23 May 2024
Selamat Hari Raya Waisak 2024
Selamat Hari Raya Waisak 2024
Berita Lainnya - 22 May 2024
Pertobatan Memebawa Kita pada Kasih Allah
Pertobatan Memebawa Kita pada Kasih Allah
Berita Lainnya - 21 May 2024
Thank You God for Caring Me
Thank You God for Caring Me
Berita Lainnya - 15 September 2022
Cerpen: Mereka yang Tinggal
Berita Lainnya - 17 August 2022
Dirgahayu 77 Tahun Republik Indonesia
Dirgahayu 77 Tahun Republik Indonesia
Berita Lainnya - 19 August 2022
Orientasikan Hidup kepada Tuhan
Orientasikan Hidup kepada Tuhan
Berita Lainnya - 22 August 2022
Hartaku untuk Kemuliaan Tuhan
Hartaku untuk Kemuliaan Tuhan
Berita Lainnya - 15 August 2022
merespon segala sesuatu secara positif
merespon segala sesuatu secara positif

Choose Your School

GO