Green Cotton

Photosource: Guardian UK

Last spring on Green Cotton we posted an article on plastic bag usage, sharing the rather unpalatable statistics on our global usage. 

If we had to name our nation’s top ten environmental accomplishments in 2008, I seriously doubt that recycling plastic bags would make it on the list. We currently recycle a mere 1-3% of plastic bags (we have 97% room for improvement).

Unfortunately, making matters worse, it is currently more expensive to recycle plastic bags and bring them back into the market than it is to make new ones. No wonder companies are producing, producing, producing and not recycling. All the more reason for us consumers to rise up and make change happen on our own. Our current economic downturn has plummeted the recycling further, making it even more economically unappealing to corporations.

So let’s revisit the statistics as we kick off 2009:

Plastic Bag Consumption Facts

• Each year, we consume an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year.
• According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year.
• Americans alone discarded more than 3.3 million tons of low- and high-density polyethylene bags, sacks, and wraps in 2000 (EPA).
• The U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually.
• Taiwan consumes 20 billion bags a year—900 per person (industry publication, Modern Plastics).
• Four out of every five bags handed out at grocery stores in the USA are plastic.

Estimated Cost of Plastic Bags in US

• Estimated cost to retailers is $4 billion (source EPA.gov)

Environmental Cost of Plastic Bags

• Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food.
• Turtles think the bags are jellyfish, their primary food source.
• On land, many cows, goats and other animals suffer a similar fate to marine life when they accidentally ingest plastic bags while foraging for food.
• Plastic bags are among the 12 items of debris most often found in coastal cleanups, according to the nonprofit Center for Marine Conservation.

- Sources (reusablebags.com and verdavivo blog)

Recycling Facts

• Plastic bags are rarely recycled, merely 1-3% currently in the US
• Plastic bags don’t degrade easily in natural environments nor landfills. In fact they do not biodegrade, they photo-degrade, which can take up to 1,000 years breaking into smaller and smaller particles (often toxic to surrounding ecosystems).
• It is more expensive to recycle plastic bags and bring them back into the marketplace than to create new ones.

Curbing and Banning Plastic Bag Consumption

• One of the poorest countries in the world, Bangladesh has banned plastic bags since 2002
• China has even banned free plastic bags (resulting in 27 million barrels of oil saved)
• San Francisco has banned plastic bags in stores
• Certain counties in NY have banned plastic bags and LA has imposed strict limitations
• Whole Foods and Trade Joe’s have banned plastic bags
• Some retailers offer incentives to bring your own; few however impose an extra cost for plastic bag use

So where does the solution for change lie? With us consumers.

According to last Spring’s plastic bag survey on Green Cotton the number one barrier to change was consumer awareness….So that’s why we are posting this again, and its also why we ask you to take this survey now (45 seconds of your time) if you have not already done so. It will make a difference.

Take this plastic bag survey right now and be a part of the change.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=2WbhOHprWJwBI8YLpimD8A_3d_3d

We’ll post the results of the survey in a week.

Primary sources for this blog post: resuablebags.com, EPA.gov, Trellisearth.com as well as several other websites listed above as hyperlinks.

Photosource top: Guardian UK

Thanks to the rise of eco-conscious businesses and celebrity plugs, the notion of “Going Green” has become part of everyday American life. Recycling, bringing your own bag, staying away from water bottles… small (but important) changes seem to be taking hold as more people take steps toward a greener, more sustainable earth. However as the New York Times reported last Sunday, this green movement (including recycling) appears to be facing a tough uphill battle in our current economic crisis. In fact, the author writes, “the economic downturn has decimated the market for recycled materials like cardboard, plastic, newspaper and metals.”

Unfortunately, the reality is that the valuable practice of recycling has become less (or not at all) cost effective for many towns and businesses. As noted by the heap of recyclables accumulating at landfills, one might quickly become disparaged and start throwing plastics and cardboard back into the trash. But rather than doing so, and simultaneously throwing our small but growing social and environmental responsibility to the wind, isn’t this a time more than ever that we need most to stand our ground?”

On Sunday, The New York Times called attention to what could be a recycling crisis, proclaiming, “Trash has crashed.” This is reminiscent of a 1996 article in New York Times Magazine, where John Tierney declared, “recycling is garbage,” and that it “may be the most wasteful activity in America.”
Naturally, environmental groups were quick to defend the benefits of recycling versus the economic cost.

The Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Defense Fund issued reports detailing how municipal recycling programs actually cost less than curbside garbage pick-up and disposal.
But tell this to recyclers today, who are looking at a dismal picture. The scrap market has slumped, and junk is piling up. Perfectly recyclable materials like paper, cardboard, plastic and metals are heading straight for the landfills. According the Times, “The scrap market in general is closely tied to the economic conditions because demand for some recyclables tracks closely with markets for new products.”

The U.S. economy is not solely to blame for the scraps’ decrease in value. China is the number one export market for U.S. recyclables, but as the global economy has slowed, so has China’s demand. Now our scraps are worth much less in parts of the country where shipping to China is too difficult and expensive. Unfortunately, this also sheds light on the motive behind the green movement— could recycling be more about profit than actual activism? If recycling becomes too much of a hassle, expect many businesses to cease “save the planet” preaching.

Thankfully, the big picture isn’t all that bleak. Most cities are keeping their recycling programs in place, whether by law or for economics. As the Environmental Defense and others have pointed out, recycling still wins out over the cost of landfills. While cities may balk at reaping less – and even paying – to unload their recyclables, they will still save money in the end. Boston, the Times reports, is one of the hardest-hit markets, receiving only $5 a ton for recycling paper. But that’s much more favorable than paying $80 a ton to send that paper to a landfill.

Small towns are also feeling the economic blow, and many refuse to accept less lucrative recyclable plastics and metals (my town, for instance, accepts only #1 and #2 plastic). What can you do if your town faces a similar pinch? Nothing. The less we do, and, therefore, the less we use, the more likely we are to see recycling and our economy bounce back. For now, keep recycling all you can—but it’s even more important to remember the “reduce” and “reuse” parts of the mantra.

Photosource top: www.cdvds.co.uk

Article Sources:
New York Times article:

About.com on the environment.

Article By Erin Dale