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 - 07 September 2023
SMAK 5 PENABUR Jakarta Bawa Pulang 3 Medali dalam...
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 14 September 2023
Tantangan Menjadi Orang Beriman - Marturia Episod...
Tantangan Menjadi Orang Beriman - Marturia Episod...
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 05 September 2023
Kebaktian Kompleks Kelapa Gading: Menjadi Orang T...
Kebaktian Kompleks Kelapa Gading: Menjadi Orang T...
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 04 September 2023
ANBK di SMAK 5 PENABUR Jakarta
ANBK di SMAK 5 PENABUR Jakarta
Berita BPK PENABUR Jakarta - 01 September 2023
Osis Bidang 2: Share Our Food for Others
Osis Bidang 2: Share Our Food for Others
Berita Lainnya - 27 February 2025
Ini Cara SMAK 5 PENABUR Jakarta Melestarikan Buda...
Berita Lainnya - 28 February 2025
Bersyukur dan Berdoa untuk Mencapai Damai Sejahte...
Bersyukur dan Berdoa untuk Mencapai Damai Sejahte...
Berita Lainnya - 28 February 2025
Positive Insight Growth Mindset Siswa SMAK 5 PENA...
Positive Insight Growth Mindset Siswa SMAK 5 PENA...
Berita Lainnya - 27 February 2025
Menyangkal Diri Sungguh untuk Mengikuti Allah
Menyangkal Diri Sungguh untuk Mengikuti Allah
Berita Lainnya - 26 February 2025
Jangan Lelah Menautkan Hati Kepada Tuhan
Jangan Lelah Menautkan Hati Kepada Tuhan
Berita Lainnya - 12 August 2024
Tetap Rendah Hati Seperti Padi yang Makin Berisi ...
Berita Lainnya - 11 August 2024
Mengasihi Walaupun Sakit
Mengasihi Walaupun Sakit
Berita Lainnya - 10 August 2024
Menyerahkan Seluruh Hidup kepada Tuhan
Menyerahkan Seluruh Hidup kepada Tuhan
Berita Lainnya - 09 August 2024
God will be with You in Every Situation and Promi...
God will be with You in Every Situation and Promi...
Berita Lainnya - 08 August 2024
Tuhan Telah Menyediakan Kesembuhan dan Pemulihan,...
Tuhan Telah Menyediakan Kesembuhan dan Pemulihan,...
Berita Lainnya - 13 November 2023
Kamu Membenarkan Diri di Hadapan Orang, tetapi Al...
Berita Lainnya - 07 November 2023
Meludah ke Langit
Meludah ke Langit
Berita Lainnya - 10 November 2023
Selamat Hari Pahlawan 2023
Selamat Hari Pahlawan 2023
Berita Lainnya - 10 November 2023
Tuhanlah Sumber Terangku
Tuhanlah Sumber Terangku
Berita Lainnya - 09 November 2023
If We don’t Have Peace with Him, We cannot Enjoy ...
If We don’t Have Peace with Him, We cannot Enjoy ...
Berita Lainnya - 16 November 2020
Allah Sumber Kekuatan
Berita Lainnya - 03 December 2020
Menyerahkan Kekuatiran Kepada Tuhan
Berita Lainnya - 06 November 2020
Pergumulan untuk Pribadi yang Lebih Kuat
Berita Lainnya - 16 October 2020
Bagaimana Jika?
Berita Lainnya - 11 November 2020
Bijaksana dan Cerdas Mempersiapkan Kedatangan Tuh...

Choose Your School

GO