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7 Facts That Show Plastic Bags Are More Harmful Than Paper Bags

There has been a debate that whether to save paper or use it instead. It is argued that paper production harms more trees and natural resources than that of plastic. Procedure of making paper not just harms forests but also is an absolutely labor intensive task.  However, there are little or no harms to the environment if usage of recycled paper is enhanced and promoted.

There are places in United Kingdom which have started plantation of forest in order to meet paper requirements and promote rope handle paper bags or flat handle paper bags.

Plastic is certainly reusable and cannot be destroyed but this is the factor that makes plastic so harmful for us, our environment, our water bodies and sea life.

Let us learn how plastic is more harmful than flat handle paper bags.

  1. Plastic is non bio-degradable substance- Plastic’s main drawback remains that it cannot be destroyed, if burnt it forms harmful gas that not just pollutes our environment but also never leaves our environment.  When thrown in water plastic blocks our rivers, lakes and ponds. Also if thrown in ocean it harms our sea life. So plastic is not fit to be a part of our air, water and soil, which essentially forms our environment.
  2. Alters hormones and other significant ill effects on human health – Chemicals used in polythene production are absorbed by human body. Some of these chemicals are known to affect hormones and cause fatal diseases like cancer. Many scientists have submitted reports stating that storing hot edible products in low quality polythene can easily melt particles of plastic and dissolve in the food without changing the taste and fragrance.
  3. Infinite life of plastic – Plastic floats in water for thousands of years and carries disruptive species and beings. On the other hand rope handle paper bags or flat handle paper bags are easily dissolved in water. Since paper is mostly wood pulp it does no harm to our water bodies and sea life.
  4. Plastic buried deep in ground can contaminate underground water – Plastic buried deep in ground can lead to spreading harmful chemicals in our underground water. This water is eventually pumped into our houses and fields. In some way or the other we consume this water. This shows the urgency required in remove plastic bags from our lives.
  5. Around 4% of world oil production is used in the production of plastic bags- 4% of world oil production is used as raw material for producing plastic and another 4% is used as energy in the process. Oil is one of the limited and most expensive resources, a great portion of which is used in production of plastic which in return harms our surroundings in all possible way.
  6. Plastic cannot be recycled- Recycling plastic require specialized collection and processing equipment than any other product recycling requires. These equipments are not commonly available thus recycling plastic becomes difficult and not possible in most cases.
  7. Harmful releases of plastic include- trichloroethane, acetone, methylene chloride, methyl ethyl ketone, styrene, toluene, benzene. There are other majorly harmful emissions include sulfur oxides, nitrous oxides, methanol, ethylene oxide, and volatile organic compounds.
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