In a report released by the Environment Agency (UK) the impact of different kinds of carrier bags were assessed on their ability to combat global warming. It takes into account the production, use, and disposal of four main type of bags: standard grocery bags, thicker plastic bags, paper bags, and cotton bags.
The bags were “compared for other impacts: resource depletion, acidification, eutrophication, human toxicity, fresh water aquatic ecotoxicity, marine aquatic ecotoxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity and photochemical oxidation (smog formation).”
The study found that resource use and production value has the most effect on environmental impact. So it’s no surprise the cotton bags need to be used so many times to make up for the difference!
The paper bags need to be used 3 times, the thicker plastic bags need to be reused 4 times in order to make up for the use of one standard grocery bag which isn’t reused at all.
The study found the best way to fight global warming is to use ANY bag as many times as possible and recommended using the standard grocery bags as trash can liners in order to get have the least envirnmental impact.
