Grant wonders if this issue is really an issue?

Published: 2009-03-30 By: Gwilym Griffith-Jones
Campaign: GetReal - Stop Free Plastic Bags Campaign Report
Category: Follow Ups

Below (foot pf page) is an excellent question we received this morning from a concerned Kiwi. Grant brings up some excellent points:

Are bags a problem in the sea? Or in landfills? Or in the streets? Or all of these?

We handle plastic bags at our recycling centre every day. Right now plastic bags are pretty much a problem at anytime after their initial use. Sorting different plastics is tedious and expensive and the different polymers degrade irregularly according to the environmental factors of where it ends up and even if it makes it into a recycling system there is little constructive that can be done cheaply with an often dirty thin plastic film.

Plastic bags that degrade gracefully would be superb, but that in itself would need a culture shift to ensure adequate labeling, inks, sorting methods and composting infrastructure.

Plastic bags are very useful and use very little mass of plastic (energy), usually they can be used many times, and they are v strong, so they shouldn't be outlawed.

We totally agree with you. We also agree with Dr Nick Smith when he says "When things are free, people tend to overuse them". We think that we could reduce the impact low grade, often free, bags have on the environment dramatically through a simple market intervention. Mandate retailers have to charge for them.

Of course that isn't the end of it. We then need clever engineers to design proper life cycles for plastic bags, along with all other products, which include what happens after the consumer has finished with it.

Sir/Madam,

I am a kiwi living in Scotland at the moment. The same en vogue issues seem to be here as in nz eg. plastic bags. BUT noone here seems to know why it is an issue - even politicians cannot be pinned down. But then politcians are not qualified for anything really. Some of the uk supermarkets are charging for bags. I have asked why? They don't know why bags are a problem.

I am a working engineer. If the problem is stated then it can be solved. Are bags a problem in the sea? Or in landfills? Or in the streets? Or all of these?

If the problem is that they don't degrade - change the specification - use plastic that does degrade (the do exist!). Problem solved. Likewise for supermarket packaging.

Plastic bags are very useful and use very little mass of plastic (energy), usually they can be used many times, and they are v strong, so they shouldn't be outlawed.

If plastic bag usuge is just a cosmetic problem, ie they look ugly, then if shopping trundlers could be permitted (like in France). Or paper bags/boxes like the 60s/70s.

Grant