Plastic bags greener than you think
A new study by the Environment Agency has concluded that plastic bags are not as bad for the environment as previously thought. The organisation, which is charged with improving the green credentials of England and Wales, found that depending on how many times they are reused, different types of bags have different impacts on the environment.
As well as typical high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bags, the research also looked at low-density polyethylene (LDPE) products – often called “bags for life”- as well as non woven cotton bags made of polypropylene (PP).
The agency concluded that if a HDPE bag is reused for shopping, it will only have to be reused a few times to lessen its impact on the environment. The bags can also redeem themselves further if they then go on to be used for other purposes such as lining bins.
A paper bag, however, must be reused three times and a LDPE bag four times in order to have a lesser impact that a HDPE bag which is not reused. The study also found that a cotton bag must be reused a shocking 131 times and a non-woven PP bag 11 times to reach the same status. These figures go up further if the HDPE bag is used as a bin liner.
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