The truth about those Green Bags we all use now...
We need to talk.
I've been wanting say something for a while, but I didn't want to upset you.
But..... It's time.
Very recently, two major supermarket chains in Australia went "plastic bag free", meaning they no longer provide single use plastic bags at the checkout.
Fantastic, huh??
Besides, we were all starting to amass those Green Bags by the score anyway, so it was about time they did away with the plastic, right??!!
Absolutely!
However..... All is not as it seems.
While the Green Bags are certainly re-usable and better than single use plastic bags, they are also made of plastic. They are made of non-woven polypropylene (NWPP), which carries the recycling number 5. While Polypropylene is considered to be one of the safer plastics to look for, it is still a plastic. Therefore, while Green Bags may be recyclable, they are not biodegradable as some people believe.
So, what happens at the "end of life" stage of Green Bags?
Being a number 5 recyclable, worn out bags can be placed in RedCycle bins http://www.redcycle.net.au/, now found in most Coles and Woolworths supermarkets. I love this, because the onus is placed back on the business providing the plastics.
However, most people throw worn out Green Bags in their red bin, thinking they'll biodegrade in landfill. They won't. Nothing breaks down in landfill, because of the anaerobic environment. Remember?? We discussed this before, when I told you about the newspaper from the 1930's.
When Green Bags are placed in a red bin and taken to landfill, they can pose a bit of an environmental nightmare...... Because they're made of plastic. The wind often picks up these bags, like any other plastic bag, and deposits them in the ocean, or far away from their landfill home. Left sitting out in the elements, Green Bags will most certainly break down and extremely quickly, too. This is when the nightmare begins. Because Green Bags are made of plastic, just like a single use plastic bag, they break down into micro-plastics when exposed to sunlight. These micro-plastics pose the greatest threat to our natural world and, ultimately, us as they make their way into the food chain via ingestion by fish and other marine and land animals.
I carry a degraded Green Bag to all my events, as it perfectly illustrates the harm these bags can cause. This degraded bag always draws a chorus of gasps from attendees.
Every.
Single.
Time.
So, if you are trying to rid your life of plastic bags altogether, source only jute, calico or cotton bags for your shopping. You can buy handmade cotton bags from Boomerang Bags https://boomerangbags.org/, or make your own. Check out stalls at local markets, to buy bags from local producers - it's a great way to act locally, think globally. Plus, when jute, calico or fabric bags wear out, they can be composted or used as weed matting in the garden.
As usual, if you have any further questions about Green Bags, recycling or anything sustainability related, just holler. If I don't know the answer straight up, I'll certainly put on my Librarian's hat and source it.
