Paper and Plastic Bags Contribute to Global Warming
Though most of us don't realize it, manufacturing bags - plastic, compostable plastic, and even paper bags - contributes significantly to global warming. Compare the global warming impact of your bags below.
Paper : Paper bags have the highest global warming impact per bag compared to other types of bags. According to the US EPA, 70% more global warming gasses are emitted making a paper bag than a plastic bag, and 50 times more water pollution. They also contribute to global warming by destroying trees. In 1999, the American Forest and Paper Association reported that Americans used 10 billion paper shopping bags, consuming 14 million trees.
Plastic : The petroleum used to make 14 plastic bags is enough to drive a car a mile. The hundreds of billion plastic bags that are throw away each year are made from millions of barrels of petroleum, contributing to global warming, depleting oil supplies, and driving up costs of petroleum-based products like gasoline and energy for our homes.
Compostable Plastic : Compostable bags use a quarter to two-thirds less petroleum resources than traditional plastic bags in manufacturing, but this does not factor in the resources required to grow and transport the corn or other crops used in production. It is unclear how much the agricultural use of petroleum for farm equipment, fertilizers, and transportation contribute to global warming.
Every time a bag is thrown away, our precious resources are thrown away.
