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ASHEVILLE GREENWORKS
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We are drowning in plastic.

From beauty products to grocery bags to water bottles to our daily cup of coffee, plastic is present in every aspect of our lives. Most of these items are designed to be used once and thrown away, usually heading to the landfill.

Some of the plastic that we think can be recycled, like drink lids, straws and utensils, end up in the landfill because they're either too difficult to recycle or there's no market for the end products. Even recyclable plastic such as water bottles are becoming harder to recycle.

The most effective approach to reducing our plastic waste is to REFUSE, REDUCE, and REUSE.

In January 2019, GreenWorks spearheaded the creation of the Plastics Reduction Task Force -- a group of motivated volunteers dedicated to reducing single-use plastic in our environment. 
​
Join the plastic-free movement and break free from the plastic ties that bind us.
Donate now for a plastic-free future
Mind Your Plastic May is meant to encourage and challenge us in our journey to live plastic free. These posts are created by GreenWorks staff, Plastic Reduction Task Force volunteers, and other plastic-free advocates in Buncombe County. If you've found these posts helpful and encouraging, please consider making a donation to support this work. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
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A Review of Different Types of Reusable Bags

5/5/2020

1 Comment

 
By Meghan Ibach

​With so many ‘environmentally-friendly’ options for reusable bags, it’s hard to know what to pick. Each type of reusable shopping bag has a series of pros and cons associated with it. In this post, I’m going to highlight a few of the pros and cons of the most common reusable bag options.

Most of us already own several shopping bags; the first trick is remembering to bring them along when you leave the house! In order for reusable bags to work, we must commit to using them as often as possible. No matter what type of bag you choose, remember to use it. 

Clean your bags frequently, dry, and store them properly. By taking good care of your reusable bags, you can keep them for years to come. If you already have a plethora of bags, it may be time to stop taking in new ones. We love free stuff (myself included!), but sometimes enough is enough!

Here are some Pros and Cons of the most common reusable bags to help you decide what should stay in your home:
​

Canvas/Cotton

Pros
Cons
Made from natural fiber
​Must be reused many times to negate the 
resources required to make it
Decompostable
Takes a ton of water to grow cotton
Durable​
Consume resources like water, arable soil, and electricity to create
Machine washable​
Uses virgin materials
Nice, soft material
    
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  • A note on the Cons: A 2011 UK report and a 2018 Danish report found cotton totes must be reused 131 to 20,000 times more than a disposable plastic bag to negate the resources their creation consumes
  • Cotton takes a lot of water to grow. Hemp bags are a great alternative option for strength, durability; they use way less water to produce. 


Polyester

Pros
Cons
Versatile material
Made from plastic
Resistant to mold and mildew​
Uses virgin materials
Compactable
Plastic is a non-renewable byproduct that profits the petroleum industry
Picture


  • Typically made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), either woven or non-woven. Think of a bag that stuffs inside itself. ​

Recycled PET

Pros
Cons
Made from recycled post-consumer containers
Uses energy in transportation, sorting, recycling, and manufacturing
Supports market for post-consumer materials
Still a form of plastic
Requires ⅔ less energy to manufacture than virgin PET bags
Non-biodegradable and non-compostable
Strong and durable
Product of the petrochemical industry
Picture


  • I’m a big fan of buying products made from recycled materials. We need to prove there is a demand for these kinds of goods!

Polypropylene

Pros
Cons
Low cost
Non-biodegradable and non-compostable
Somewhat durable
Product of plastic industry
Can be made of recycled materials
Eventual fate: the landfill
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  • Personally, I’ve had more holes develop in these kinds of bags than any other, especially in the non-woven type. Woven polypropylene is stronger than non-woven. ​

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Some research shows disposable plastic bags may be, technically, more environmentally-friendly than certain reusable bags when accounting for the energy and materials required to make each type of bag. However, we need to consider what kind of environment we want to have. Those studies did not take into account the overall environmental toll that single-use plastic bags have on our world. Plastic bags litter streets, waterways, and natural environments. They make their way into the bellies of marine life and into our own food products. 

Overall, the best course of action is reducing the amount of all products we consume. Ask yourself, do you need a bag in the first place? Could you just as easily carry the items in your hands, purse, or a box the store would already be discarding? Our goal is to live in a healthier, more sustainable world and every single person is a part of the effort towards going plastic-free. 
​

P.S. Is paper better? Check out this great graphic comparing paper and plastic. 















​Meghan Ibach is the Sustainability and Marketing Manager for UNC Asheville Dining Services. She believes in collective power to radically change systems, and that we vote with our purchases and choices every day. She’s part of the Plastic Reduction Task Force to help reduce plastic waste in our community, hoping we can all make a greener, brighter future together.
 

Sources:
www.ecomena.org/reusable-fabric-shopping-bags/ 
https://www2.mst.dk/Udgiv/publications/2018/02/978-87-93614-73-4.pdf 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/10/03/GR2007100301385.html

1 Comment
Lily Rose link
2/12/2021 08:38:19 pm

Awesome post, your writing style is very attractive and informative. i read your article really these all five types is very good and I used laptop messenger bag, so now I need a tote bag. thanks for sharing this informative guide with us.

Reply



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​Asheville GreenWorks is a 501(c)3 non-profit environmental organization, governed by a Board of Directors. Established in 1973, GreenWorks mission is to inspire, equip and mobilize individuals and communities to take care of the places we love to live.
  • Hard 2 Recycle
  • Programs
    • Bee City USA Asheville >
      • Native Pollinator Plants and Nurseries
      • Pollination Celebration >
        • Pollinator Photo Contest
      • Pollinator Garden Certification
    • Rivers & Roads >
      • Adopt-a-Street
      • Clean Streams Day
      • Cleanup Supply Stations
      • Trash Trout
      • WNC Big Sweep
    • Education
    • Urban Forestry >
      • Adopt-a-Spot
      • Cool Green Asheville
      • Food Tree Project
      • RRI
      • Tree Nursery
      • Treasured Trees >
        • Treasured Trees Calendar
    • Waste Reduction >
      • Asheville Bag Monster
      • Composting Information
      • Flip Your Lid
      • Plastics Reduction Task Force
      • Recycling Information
      • Smash Don't Trash
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Experiential Internships
    • Youth Environmental Leadership Program >
      • YELP Staff & Alumni
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    • Fall Leaves