Plastic Bag Facts

Make an Informed Choice about Plastic Bags

There has been some debate over recent years about the use of plastic bags, in particular plastic grocery bags. Some state and local municipalities have done everything from implementing a ban on the use of plastic shopping bags, to levying fines or taxes on the retailers for their use of plastic grocery bags.

Throughout this debate, there has been plenty of misinformation about the eco-friendly nature of plastic bags. The following pages offer 7 facts about plastic bags that many of us might not be aware of or have overlooked during this debate.

PLASTIC BAG FACTSSince 1964International Plastics – www.InterPlas.com

1. Less Greenhouse Gases

Plastic bags produce fewer greenhouse gases than paper or cotton bags

Plastic Bags FactsSince 1964

http://cascade.uoregon.edu/fall2012/expert/expert-article/

International Plastics – www.InterPlas.com

2. Reusable Bags Are Made of Foreign Oil

Reusable bags cannot be recycled, are mostly shipped from overseas, and are made from foreign oil

Plastic Bags FactsSince 1964International Plastics – www.InterPlas.com

3. 70% Less Energy Used

Plastic grocery bags require 70% less energy to manufacture than paper bags

Plastic Bags Facts

Franklin Associates, Ltd., Resource and Environmental Profile Analysis of. Polyethylene and Unbleached Paper Grocery Sacks

Since 1964International Plastics – www.InterPlas.com

4. 96% Less Water Used

The production of plastic bags consumes less than 4% of the water needed to make paper bags

Plastic Bags Facts

Boustead Consulting & Associates: "Life Cycle Assessment for Three Types of Grocery Bags—Recyclable Plastic; Compostable, Biodegradable Plastic; and Recycled, Recyclable Paper," 2007.

Since 1964International Plastics – www.InterPlas.com

5. 80% Less Waste

Plastic bags generate 80% less waste than paper bags

Plastic Bags Facts

ABC News: Paper or Plastic? Just the Facts. 1/7/2006 & Boustead Consulting & Associates: "Life Cycle Assessment for Three Types of Grocery Bags—Recyclable Plastic; Compostable, Biodegradable Plastic; and Recycled, Recyclable Paper," 2007

Since 1964International Plastics – www.InterPlas.com

6. Seven Times Less Transportation Cost

For every seven trucks needed to deliver paper bags, only one truck is needed to deliver the same number of plastic bags

Plastic Bags Facts

"RAN Encourages Plastic Bag Recycling; " Nevada News – April 2008; Retail Association of Nevada; http://www.rannv.org/documents/8/April%202008.pdf & Boustead Consulting & Associates: "Life Cycle Assessment for Three Types of Grocery Bags—Recyclable Plastic; Compostable, Biodegradable Plastic; and Recycled, Recyclable Paper," 2007.

Since 1964International Plastics – www.InterPlas.com

7. American Made Uses Natural Gas

American-made plastic bags are made from natural gas, not oil. In the United States, 85% of the raw material used to make plastic bags is produced from natural gas

Plastic Bags Facts

Analysis by Chemical Market Associates, Inc.; February, 2011.

International Plastics – www.InterPlas.com Since 1964

Recycle, Reduce, & Reuse Not BanUnlike other types of plastic products such as plastic water bottles, plastic bags are not a single-use product. Think about all the additional uses for grocery bags such as lining trash cans, cleaning up behind your pet and disposing of yard waste, just to name a few.

As opposed to placing a ban on plastic bags, the solution could be as simple as developing a more comprehensive wide-scale recycling program. Or store-owners could offer incentives to shoppers by offering a discount for reusing their plastic bags from previous purchases. Let’s all think about both sides of the plastic bag debate before making a choice.

PLASTIC BAG FACTSSince 1964International Plastics – www.InterPlas.com