Is the use of plastic than cotton bags more sustainable?

According to the President of the international society for Industrial Ecology, Roland Cliff, using plastic bags in daily consumption habits is more sustainable use of cotton, wherever plastic is managed properly as waste.

The expert has defended this idea during his speech on the theory of life cycle in ecological intelligence Congress held recently in Barcelona, which intends to explore the environmental costs of production in its "mere" reuse materials.

"It is better to use plastic bags if they are properly managed, there is no problem in using them," it has secured Cliff admitting that life cycle proposals cast conclusions "sometimes unpopular".
Cliff explained that a cotton bag should be 150 times to compensate for its ecological production cost, since it contains many biopolymers (polymers that are involved in the biological processes, such as proteins and nucleic acids).

He argues that this premise is maintained provided that plastic bags are used repeatedly and later managed properly through the recycling of the plastic. "Greener a bag if after a single use is pulled into the sea" is not clarified.

Recycling of plastic bags

Much we talked about on our blogs the need to address the problem of plastic bags so much damage caused to the environment.. Today we will stop over in detail to meet one of the possible ways for solution: recycling.

They plastic bags are composed of a material thermoplastic, i.e., a material that is capable of being repeatedly ablandado by applying heat and then hardens to cool down. Therefore it can be recycled.

Let's see what happens with plastic bags since we left them in the containers for recycling:

First, separate the bags of other types of plastics that will follow a different process. Then usually do a quality control of the material. A check of the material is also performed to see if it is contaminated with waste from food. In that case derived you in first step to a "cleaning process". The next step is to melt the plastic. The softened plastic is forced through an extruder. What would this be? then something similar to what happens in mass games for children, that they pass through a kind of "sieve" and then leave as if it were spaghetti. Then gives way to the plastic before being cut with a blade. The final result obtained generally are a few small pieces or balls of plastic, which are then used in the manufacture of other plastic products.

Something important to take into account is the basic rule of the "3 R", according to her, recycling is only a part of the solution. What is crucial is to reduce and Recycle.

When we talk about reducing the idea is to avoid as much as possible, the use, delivery, or the purchase of these bags. Some practical suggestions so that we can lower the amount of plastic bags:

Search for other types of bags or equivalents that are not disposable. For example, bags of cloth or rope, baskets, baskets or boxes. If you have a plastic bag her not tire after the first use. Use this as many times as possible. For example, use them to store food, for storing clothing or other objects. Once broken bag (in fact not often resist much) make sure that it will not dump, and instead leave it in the container for plastic recycling.
Something important to keep in mind is that there are two different types of plastic bags, according to the type of material of which they are composed: 1. HDPE plastic bags - high density polyethylene. They are the thinner bags. These bags are in most cases aptar for recycling.
2. plastic LDPE bags - low-density polyethylene. They are thicker bags, which are usually not suitable for recycling.

Another good alternative is to use bags of plastic biodegradable. We told you more about them:

View the original article here

Biodegradable plastic bags

Before you start to talk about the bags of biodegradable plastic , it is necessary that we stop to talk about, first of all bags plastic mostly used at present, i.e., the non-biodegradable.

Plastic bags contain a material called polyethylene resin, which is a product derived from petroleum. Given its composition, its degradation is slow in some cases reaching last 500 years to degrade. Or in other cases what happens is that it is disintegrating into pieces smaller, the result is millions of pieces of plastic that measure less than 5 mm.

The environmental consequences are really very worrying. It is estimated there are oceans between 3 and 5 kilos of plastic (millimeter size), for every square kilometer of water. This high level of contamination due to the non-biodegradable plastics (of which many contain toxic additives) leads to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of marine mammals every year and also affects thousands of species of birds.

Biodegradable plastics - in contrast to those who are not - They are made from natural polymers. You are called biodegradable that can be destroyed, degraded or metabolized by natural organisms, such as e.g. certain bacteria.

It is important to make clear, that even when its components are of diverse origin, these plastics have the same properties which are manufactured with oil.

Bags 100%biodegradable allow a complete degradation. The process starts after 18 months, therefore indicated in batch number that is imprinted with their date of manufacture to be aware of when it will expire.

Until that is met this year and a half of validity, the bag can retain under normal conditions without suffering any alteration of the structure or material. Therefore, it is a way that maintains 100% quality and resistance, but without generating a negative consequence for our environment.

Biodegradable bags are completely versatile they can be manufactured in different colors and sizes, position marks or legends, so that they are suitable for different uses.

Another advantage with biodegradable bags is that they can be recycled too, providing energy values similar to the plastic polyethylene bags.

The problem of plastic polyethylene bags extends globally. And here in Spain are not the exception. On the contrary, the third country more plastic bags consumed internationally. Nothing less than a few 250 plastic bags per inhabitant and per year.

This has brought a law which provides that for the year 2013, 60% of plastic bags manufactured must be biodegradable. This percentage rises to 80% by 2016. Finally, in 2018, all plastic bags must be biodegradable.

View the original article here

Law of plastic Spain bags

Since this blog have been following some of the news more relevant and statistics relating to the use of man invented and called plastic bag . The plastic bag is part of our culture, the culture of "developed" countries, culture focused on the rapid and destructive, cradle of antagonistic culture of environmentalism.The Government begin to act, and Spain has imposed to eliminate plastic bags to the year 2018. Or better said, we already know that they shall prohibit directly. All of the law of Spain plastic bags.In Spain we have some data that can help us to understand the seriousness of the issue of plastic bags : Consumimos 250 per inhabitant and year plastic bags.A plastic bag has a useful half-life of 12 minutes, its production and distribution consumes oil, water and energy and emits four grams of CO2. In total they generate 0.1% of the national emission of CO2 .. It takes centuries to decompose and most ends up in landfills. And on the shores of the world. 20% Of the garbage collection of the beaches are packed. You can say events like this in the absence of common sense often make use of the law. States in this regard Act that respects the environment. And although I have my doubts about this matter, I believe acting more oil depletion and the economic salvage mammals which they drowning due to plastic bags, always relieved knowing that something is done.In this way, we know that Spain has released a schedule of work and has been the table in order to fulfil the dream of many environmentalists eliminate total consumption of plastic bags .. To do this: from the first January 2015, supermarkets and other businesses that use should give you a message about the damage caused environmental message that will be determined by the Ministry. In packets of tobacco, pictures of cancerous lungs may be replaced by islands of plastic bags in sea or forceful slogans as "the bags kill marine mammals".For 2013, 60% of plastic bags should be biodegradable.By 2016, 80% of plastic bags must be biodegradable.2018 Completely prohibit the use of single-use plastic bags. Except for those used to save fish (that struck me deeply)

But on the other hand, and as always, we have to think about the thousands of people who work in factories they engaged in the manufacture of the number of bags you wish to remove from the market. The consequence of all these micro-economies composed of small business and many employees will be somewhat disastrous. Only you get used to the new materials for the construction of bags biodegradable or engage in otherwise.

Now we can see the impact on communities as the Andalusia, where this sector has called for the withdrawal of the tax plastic bag, made to reduce this consumption.

Sources:

elindependientedehidalgo

The Lemu project blog

Photos:

Google images

Something more images:

From our homepage you can access all the news, as well as to all the articles of our sections: environment, curiosities...

What is the use of cotton plastic bags more sustainable?

According to the President of the international society for industrial ecology, Roland Cliff, use plastic bags daily consumption habits is more sustainable use of cotton, always of plastics are handled correctly as residue.

The expert has defended this idea during his speech on the theory of life held intelligence ecological Congress opened in Barcelona, which intends to analyse the environmental costs of production of materials a Santiago of his "mere" front.

"It is better to use plastic bags if managed correctly, do not use them hay no problem in", has assured Cliff admitting proposals of life cycle shed conclusions "a little popular times".

Cliff has explained a cotton bag 150 times must be used to compensate for its ecological cost of production, whether it contains numerous biopolymers (polymers such as proteins and nucleic acids biological processes involved).

Holds this premise is always kept plastic bags are used repeatedly and subsequently manage correctly a recycling through plastic of the. "Isn't greener bag if of one-time pulls to the sea", has been clarified.

Sources-ecoticias.com, eleconomista.es

· cotton bags plastic bags