08-08-2008, 08:47 AM
In response to the emails, here are the impact factors-
Manufacturing: All reputable environmental groups have agreed that the manufacturing of paper grocery bags has a much greater negative impact on the environment versus the manufacturing of plastic bags. They all agree that a paper bag is a very poor replacement for plastic bags
Logistics: The cost to transport manufactured bags to the end user favors plastic bags. It would take 8 commercial trailers of paper bags to equal 1 of plastic bags. The energy and pollution generated by those additional vehicles must be factored in. Additionally, paper bags have a higher spoilage rate versus plastic bags and require larger storage areas.
Cost: Although the per piece cost is negligible, even at only one cent, a store using 50,000 bags a year will be spending over $500 to use paper versus plastic in the purchase price, not factoring in distribution cost. Overall, there isn’t that much real cost to the individual consumer but a significant increase in the overall cost of shopping when all consumers are considered.
Use/Re-use: The preliminary numbers show a sharp increase in sales of plastic food bags and garbage bags in San Francisco. The initial estimates are that as much as 75% of the sales of those bags are due to the reduction of plastic grocery bags. People are just buying commercially packaged plastic bags to take the place of the plastic bags they got from shopping.
Solid Waste: The number of plastic grocery bags has been reduced in the waste stream, but an increase in garbage bags has been reported. Additionally, the alternative compostable and biodegradable bags are still ending up in the landfill instead of being recycled. Concerns are being raised that tonnage of landfill material has spiked after the ban due in part to the extra bulk of paper bags. there is also a need to educate people that a paper bag in a landfill does not decompose for decades.
Environment: No withstanding any claims otherwise, plastic bags when improperly disposed of presents a serious threat to the environment. How big that threat is compared to the serious threat from paper bag manufacturing and distribution has not been determined.
Manufacturing: All reputable environmental groups have agreed that the manufacturing of paper grocery bags has a much greater negative impact on the environment versus the manufacturing of plastic bags. They all agree that a paper bag is a very poor replacement for plastic bags
Logistics: The cost to transport manufactured bags to the end user favors plastic bags. It would take 8 commercial trailers of paper bags to equal 1 of plastic bags. The energy and pollution generated by those additional vehicles must be factored in. Additionally, paper bags have a higher spoilage rate versus plastic bags and require larger storage areas.
Cost: Although the per piece cost is negligible, even at only one cent, a store using 50,000 bags a year will be spending over $500 to use paper versus plastic in the purchase price, not factoring in distribution cost. Overall, there isn’t that much real cost to the individual consumer but a significant increase in the overall cost of shopping when all consumers are considered.
Use/Re-use: The preliminary numbers show a sharp increase in sales of plastic food bags and garbage bags in San Francisco. The initial estimates are that as much as 75% of the sales of those bags are due to the reduction of plastic grocery bags. People are just buying commercially packaged plastic bags to take the place of the plastic bags they got from shopping.
Solid Waste: The number of plastic grocery bags has been reduced in the waste stream, but an increase in garbage bags has been reported. Additionally, the alternative compostable and biodegradable bags are still ending up in the landfill instead of being recycled. Concerns are being raised that tonnage of landfill material has spiked after the ban due in part to the extra bulk of paper bags. there is also a need to educate people that a paper bag in a landfill does not decompose for decades.
Environment: No withstanding any claims otherwise, plastic bags when improperly disposed of presents a serious threat to the environment. How big that threat is compared to the serious threat from paper bag manufacturing and distribution has not been determined.