|
|
|
The Battle Between Paper vs Plastic
From WikiVerde
Contents |
Shopping bags
For years, an argument between paper and plastic bags at the supermarket has been raging. Most people consistently choose one or the other and have valid reasons in their own minds for making the choice. Few people have really studied the entire subject and are assured that their choice makes sense from the global perspective. Anyone interested in the environment should take time to study the pros and cons and make an informed decision. Review the points below for a full discussion of benefits and disadvantages of each type of bagging methods.
The Facts on Paper
Origin
Essentially, paper comes from trees, plant fiber or from other paper. The estimated tree harvesting in the year 1999 alone to provide grocery bags was 14 million trees. Harvesting the trees that are used for paper requires heavy logging equipment most of which uses petroleum based fuels and tears up the smaller bushes and plant material that is decomposing to add enrichment to the forest floor. Often the unusable wood is piled and burned. Hauling the logs to the mill requires more fuel and that is just the start of the process. The mills also use energy and producing the paper requires millions of gallons of clean water into which chemicals are introduced in order to soften and separate the wood fiber into usable materials which is then formed into long rolls or sheets.
Disposal
Discarded paper will either be sent to the landfill or to the recycling plant. Since paper is biodegradable over time it will decay at the landfill, this will occur faster if the paper is exposed to water and sunshine. If sent to the recycling plant, the paper will be broken down into fibers and reformed into recycled paper. The recycling process for paper involves bleaching, soaking, treating the fibers to remove ink and glues, and then washing the fibers to form them into paper once again. The usage of clean water in the process is significant. The water must then be treated before returning it to the water system. Some chemicals may remain in the water through inadequate cleaning methods. The sludge that remains after the cleaning process can be formed into bricks and used as fertilizers or in other products.
Global Impact
Since a significant part of landfill waste is made up of paper in the United States and since more paper is being recycled each year, waste management is seen as an achievable goal. By the year 2000, it is estimated that 78% of the paper in the United States was made of recycled fibers. This cuts down tremendously on the amount of paper in the landfills and reduces the cost of waste management overall. However, recycled paper is more costly to purchase than virgin paper products. Currently governmental subsidies are given to reduce the cost of recycled paper in order to encourage people to buy it instead of virgin paper. The major drawback with paper, whether it is virgin or recycled is that producing paper contaminates millions of gallons of fresh water in the production of the paper. This can adversely affect fish and aquatic wildlife for as long as three years.
The Facts on Plastic
Origin
Plastic is formed from a by-product of oil production. The oil is pumped from underground natural reservoirs under pressure. Most drilling and pumping equipment is operated with petroleum products and the transportation of the oil is either by way of a pipeline or through storage containers hauled to the refinery. Resin pellets of the plastic polymer material are malleable and can be shaped, colored and imprinted as desired to form plastic products. Most plastic bags are formed of Polyethylene polymer--one of five types of plastic. Plastic can be watertight and UV resistant. Only about four percent of the world's oil production is turned into plastic. The energy used to form the plastic into its final form is usually supplied by nuclear or electric power plants.
Disposal
Plastic bags from a supermarket can either be disposed of in a landfill or be recycled. More than half the plastic products made each year end up as solid waste. About 18% of garbage by volume is plastics and many landfills are being replaced by incinerators. Plastics in the landfill do not degrade, however plastics sent to the recycling plant can be recycled numerous times until it becomes brittle. At that point, it's still usable as another type of plastic product. The melting of the plastic that is being recycled sterilizes it and removes impurities caused by dyes, inks and other foreign matter. Since heat is the major element in recycling plastic, this is the only significant expense associated with recycling plastic with the recycling energy provided by electrical power plants.
Global Impact
Like paper, plastic has further impacts on the global environment. Plastic does not break down in landfills. and it is made of a limited natural resource. Plastics can be reused over and over again, or can be burned to make energy or produce other plastic products. If plastic is produced by nuclear fission--which occurs in about 50% of the manufacturing plants, there is no direct negative impact on the environment, however radioactive waste is another issue. Plastic could be burned to provide energy to produce new plastics, rather than using coal generated plants for electric power, which could reduce the amount of sulfur emissions in the atmosphere.
Shopping Bag Battle Conclusion
Most reviews of the production and recycling of paper and plastics would agree that using plastics is actually less harmful to the environment overall. Besides, a significant increase in many costs would follow replacing plastic with other materials, just based upon the increased impact on transportation costs, fuel costs and many other factors resulting from heavier materials instead of plastics. However, many people are not using either paper or plastic but are bringing a reusable canvas or string bag from home in which to transport their grocery purchases. In the end, using a natural fiber bag that can be reused, as opposed to even recycled paper or plastic is the most sustainable and green choice.
Sources
http://www.angelfire.com/wi/PaperVsPlastic/
