Reusable Shopping Bags versus Biodegradable Plastic Bags
There is not doubt that the newer biodegradable plastic bags are more environmentally friendly than regular plastic bags. However, biodegradable plastic bags still present environmental problems and are not as good of a solution to our plastic bag problem as reusable shopping bags. Biodegradable plastic bags come in any number of materials. Some are polyester-based while others are made from starches like potato, corn, and wheat. There are also other materials that biodegradable plastic bags are made from and some bags are a "cocktail" of numerous materials. While the materials are more environmentally friendly, one problem with using some of these materials is that it can actually require more energy to produce the biodegradable bags than polyethylene (regular) plastic bags.
The American Chemistry Council conducted a study where they analyzed the life cycle of numerous disposable bags. They discovered that biodegradable bags made from a combination of polylactic acid, polyester, and calcium cabonate required almost three times the energy to produce than regular (polyethylene) plastic bags. The production of the biodegradable bags also emitted four times the amount of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and required the consumption of eighteen times more fresh water. The bottom line is that, although these bags are better for our environment after their useful life is over, the additional environmental impact that they have during their production may not actually be any better for us. Again, the easiest and best solution is for everyone to begin using reusable shopping bags and reusable dry cleaning bags.
Another disadvantage to biodegradable plastic bags is the fact that they cannot be recycled with ordinary plastics. So, in reality, although they are biodegradable, chances are good that they won't biodegrade in the end as they'll end up in landfills where almost nothing biodegrades. The only option to make the most of these bags after they are used is to compost them where they can "disappear" within a few months. However, there are only about 100 facilities in the US that have the capability to compost biodegradable bags, meaning most end up like every other plastic bag we use – as litter or in a landfill. So what is the point of these bags? The potential for benefits is there, yet we lack the capabilities to take advantage of them and in turn do as much harm to our planet in an effort to reduce the amount of harm we do. It simply makes no sense. Reusable bags are better. End of story.