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:
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 24 April 2024
PEN5I: Epiphany, A Journey of Enlightment of Arts
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 02 April 2024
Bakti Sosial Paskah SMAK 5 PENABUR Jakarta 2024
Bakti Sosial Paskah SMAK 5 PENABUR Jakarta 2024
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 23 April 2024
Penampilan Luminis Voces, Paduan Suara SMAK 5 PEN...
Penampilan Luminis Voces, Paduan Suara SMAK 5 PEN...
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 22 April 2024
Pemberitahuan Kegiatan Perkemahan RAIMUNA Kelas X
Pemberitahuan Kegiatan Perkemahan RAIMUNA Kelas X
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 01 April 2024
Outbound Guru dan Karyawan SMAK 5 PENABUR Jakarta
Outbound Guru dan Karyawan SMAK 5 PENABUR Jakarta
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 26 November 2021
Teacher’s Day 2021: Level Up
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 17 January 2022
Upacara Pelantikan Pengurus OSIS Periode 2022-2023
Upacara Pelantikan Pengurus OSIS Periode 2022-2023
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 30 November 2021
Kebaktian Persiapan Penilaian Akhir Semester: Ber...
Kebaktian Persiapan Penilaian Akhir Semester: Ber...
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 29 October 2021
Kebaktian Siswa: Bersediakah Dipimpin oleh Tuhan?
Kebaktian Siswa: Bersediakah Dipimpin Oleh Tuhan?
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 24 October 2021
Pembukaan ESCALADES EQUINOX 2021
Pembukaan ESCALADES EQUINOX 2021
Berita Lainnya - 01 December 2024
Mencukupkan Diri dalam Segala Hal
Berita Lainnya - 22 November 2024
Resensi Buku: Yang Telah Lama Pergi
Resensi Buku: Yang Telah Lama Pergi
Berita Lainnya - 20 November 2024
Resensi Buku: Opposite
Resensi Buku: Opposite
Berita Lainnya - 19 November 2024
Resensi Buku: Never Be Alone
Resensi Buku: Never Be Alone
Berita Lainnya - 18 November 2024
Resensi Buku: Adhesi
Resensi Buku: Adhesi
Berita Lainnya - 25 January 2024
Do Not Fear, Little Flock
Berita Lainnya - 18 January 2024
Resensi Buku: Wisata Kawah di Indonesia
Resensi Buku: Wisata Kawah di Indonesia
Berita Lainnya - 10 January 2024
Resensi Buku: Kebiasaan yang Menyebalkan
Resensi Buku: Kebiasaan yang Menyebalkan
Berita Lainnya - 07 January 2024
Resensi Buku: Toba Mengubah Dunia
Resensi Buku: Toba Mengubah Dunia
Berita Lainnya - 24 January 2024
Bijaklah dalam Perkataan dan dengan Berani Memebe...
Bijaklah dalam Perkataan dan dengan Berani Memebe...
Berita Lainnya - 21 October 2021
Beriman dan Rendah Hati
Berita Lainnya - 31 December 2021
Kita Dipenuhi dengan Pujian
Kita Dipenuhi dengan Pujian
Berita Lainnya - 23 December 2021
Kita Menjadi seperti Dia
Kita Menjadi seperti Dia
Berita Lainnya - 15 December 2021
Sekaranglah Waktu Memeteraikan Itu
Sekaranglah Waktu Memeteraikan Itu
Berita Lainnya - 26 October 2021
Carilah Tuhan Selama la Berkenan Ditemui
Carilah Tuhan Selama la Berkenan Ditemui

Choose Your School

GO