Polythene: Plastic Shopping Bags
Polythene Pollution
The Problem Of Polythene Pollution
Polythene pollution is everywhere, and the problem is getting worse. For most of us, the problem is seen as one of visual pollution, where plastic bags litter streets, roadways, and in some cases scenic areas across the country.
No one will argue that polythene is useful. The plastic bags we use to carry home food or products are for the most part very light and very strong. Using these bags is not really the problem. The problem, leading to polythene pollution, is the improper methods of disposing of the bags. They've been marketed as throw-away items, and that is all too often what we do, except they don’t always end up in the garbage.
Save A Tree - Polythene wasn't introduced as a bad thing. It wasn't all that many years ago that we started using plastic bags to "save a tree". By using paper bags for groceries, it seemed like we were cutting down trees, using the wood or pulp products on a one time basis, and then throwing the product away. The message was, we were on the verge of making a renewable resource, trees, a non-renewable one.everal design options and features are available. Some bags have gussets to allow a higher volume of contents. Some have the ability to stand up on a shelf or a refrigerator. Some have easy-opening or reclosable options. Handles are cut into or added onto some.
Plastic bags usually use less material than comparable boxes, cartons, or jars, thus are often considered as "reduced or minimized packaging".[1]
Depending on the construction, plastic bags can be well suited for plastic recycling. They can be incinerated in appropriate facilities for waste-to-energy conversion. They are stable and benign in sanitary landfills.[2] If disposed of improperly, however, plastic bags can create unsightly litter and harm some types of wildlife.[3][4]
Bags are also made with carrying handles, hanging holes, tape attachments, security features, etc. Some bags have provisions for
The Problem Of Polythene Pollution
Polythene pollution is everywhere, and the problem is getting worse. For most of us, the problem is seen as one of visual pollution, where plastic bags litter streets, roadways, and in some cases scenic areas across the country.
No one will argue that polythene is useful. The plastic bags we use to carry home food or products are for the most part very light and very strong. Using these bags is not really the problem. The problem, leading to polythene pollution, is the improper methods of disposing of the bags. They've been marketed as throw-away items, and that is all too often what we do, except they don’t always end up in the garbage.
Save A Tree - Polythene wasn't introduced as a bad thing. It wasn't all that many years ago that we started using plastic bags to "save a tree". By using paper bags for groceries, it seemed like we were cutting down trees, using the wood or pulp products on a one time basis, and then throwing the product away. The message was, we were on the verge of making a renewable resource, trees, a non-renewable one.everal design options and features are available. Some bags have gussets to allow a higher volume of contents. Some have the ability to stand up on a shelf or a refrigerator. Some have easy-opening or reclosable options. Handles are cut into or added onto some.
Plastic bags usually use less material than comparable boxes, cartons, or jars, thus are often considered as "reduced or minimized packaging".[1]
Depending on the construction, plastic bags can be well suited for plastic recycling. They can be incinerated in appropriate facilities for waste-to-energy conversion. They are stable and benign in sanitary landfills.[2] If disposed of improperly, however, plastic bags can create unsightly litter and harm some types of wildlife.[3][4]
Bags are also made with carrying handles, hanging holes, tape attachments, security features, etc. Some bags have provisions for