Plastic Bag Recycled Content Goal
In the near and distant future (2015) most disposable plastic bags you get at the local store will be made from up to 40% recycled content.
To reach this goal the American Chemistry Council announced a new initiative to invest in the collection and manufacturing of these bags. The recycling of plastic bags and wraps has escalated in recent years to an estimated 830 million pounds in 2007. This represents a 27 percent increase from 2005. Still, additional material will need to be collected for manufacturers to reach their goal. About 470 million pounds of plastic will be reclaimed for the manufacturing of new bags and will help in the development of plastic recycling and using recycled plastic content. Expect in-store recycling programs and the visibility of such programs to increase to help reach these goals.
Now, not all bags will be made from 40% recycled content and most will only achieve 25% recycled content. And it is unclear if you will be able to tell which bag contains which percentage.
So what does this mean for us crafters?
- » See also: A Review of the Green Guide for Artists
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Well, not a whole lot.
I can see a decrease in fusible plastic crafting and the use of plarn due to a shortage of raw materials but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
An increase in reclamation will also decrease litter and the amount of plastic bags that end up in the landfill. If other countries adopted similar goals perhaps we won’t see any more plastic bag billboards or bags with a conscience.
I am also curious to see if the increase in recycled content will have an effect on the process of fusing the bags together. But again, this concern seems so small compared to the bigger picture. I am also torn between celebrating this step in the right direction and throwing my hands up in a huff about the low percentage and the time line to get there.
What do you think? Will this effort have an effect on plastic bag crafting or will we see plastic bags used in crafting well into the future?
The so called fact that plastic bags are responsible for the killing of thousands of marine animals is a myth and based on a misinterpretation of a canadian study.
“The central claim of campaigners is that the bags kill more than 100,000 marine mammals and one million seabirds every year. However, this figure is based on a misinterpretation of a 1987 Canadian study in Newfoundland, which found that, between 1981 and 1984, more than 100,000 marine mammals, including birds, were killed by discarded nets. The Canadian study did not mention plastic bags.”
Also the production and recycling of plastic is more environmentally friendly than paper.