Posts
EarthTalk, smdp.com, April 12, 2010
Dear EarthTalk, How effective have plastic bag bans and restrictions been on reducing plastic litter and other problems associated with their proliferation? And is it really better to use paper bags, which will just lead to more deforestation?
Peter Lindsey, New Canaan, Conn.
Plastic bags, first introduced in the 1950s as a convenient way to store food, have since developed into a global scourge, littering roadsides, clogging sewer drains and landfills and getting ingested by animals and marine life. And in recent years we've discovered how they are so prolific that they now comprise a significant portion of the plastic and other garbage that has collected in huge ocean gyres far from land.
A few countries around the world — Bangladesh, China, India, Australia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Israel, South Africa, Taiwan and Mumbai, among others — have taken stands against plastic bags through taxing their usage or banning them outright. The environmental think tank, Worldwatch Institute, reports that China's decision to ban free plastic bags in 2008 has cut demand by some 40 billion bags, reduced plastic bag usage there by 66 percent, and saved some 1.6 million tons of petroleum.
In March 2007, San Francisco became the first (and is still the only) major U.S. city to implement an across-the-board ban on plastic bags. Large supermarkets and pharmacies there had to ditch plastic shopping bags by early 2008 in favor of paper bags or those made from all-natural biodegradable cornstarch-based plastic. Environmentalists are particularly fond of the latter option for those who don't bring their own grocery bags, as these cornstarch bags offer the biodegradability of paper without the deforestation as well as the convenience of plastic without the damage to ecosystems. San Francisco officials had originally tried to work with retailers on reducing plastic bag use voluntarily. But after a few years of little or no cooperation, they decided to just institute the ban on anything but biodegradable bags. The result has been a 50 percent drop in plastic bag litter on the streets since the ban took effect.
Los Angeles followed suit and its city council voted in 2008 to ban plastic bags beginning in July 2010 — but the ban will only take effect if the state of California doesn't follow through on a statewide plan to impose a fee on shoppers who request plastic bags. City council members in L.A. hope the ban will spur consumers to carry their own reusable bags and thus reduce the amount of plastic washing into the city's storm drains and into the Pacific Ocean. Several other U.S. cities, including New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, have considered outright bans like San Francisco's, but each settled instead on plastic bag recycling programs in the face of pressure from the plastics industry and retail commercial interests.
While increased demand for paper bags in the wake of plastic bag bans could lead to more deforestation, most paper grocery bags in use today are made from recycled content, not virgin wood. Also, an added benefit of paper over petroleum-based plastic is its biodegradability.
Americans go through some 92 billion disposable plastic bags each year, and only five billion paper ones. If the nation banned plastic bags it is likely that paper varieties would only make up a small part of the difference, in light of the proliferation of reusable canvas shopping bags as well as the availability of biodegradable cornstarch plastic.
Want to get down to earth? Submit questions to earthtalk@emagazine.com.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Bag bans gain momentum
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Going green for graduation: UNT students wear biodegradable gowns
By UNT News Service, North Texas e-News, Dec. 17, 2009
DENTON (UNT), Texas — Commencement ceremonies honoring the accomplishments of about 2,800 students will be held Dec. 18 and 19 (Friday and Saturday) on the University of North Texas campus. This fall, 2,256 undergraduate students applied for December graduation, in addition to 478 master's students and 59 doctoral students.
While the students walking across the stage this December may look similar to students from previous years, there will be one notable difference: some of this year’s students will be wearing biodegradable gowns.
Offered through the UNT Bookstore, the Jostens Elements Collection graduation gowns will decompose in soil in one year. The acetate fabric fiber of the gowns is made from natural wood sourced from renewable forests. In addition, the zipper is made from fully recycled polyethylene terephthalate, a plastic typically used for consumer goods like soft drink bottles. The packaging of the gowns also contains materials from ECM BioFilms, which makes it easier for the bag to decompose.
Click here to read the full article
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Real Christmas tree is best for environment
By Joe Lamp'l, Scripps Howard News Service, FayObserver.com, Dec. 13, 2009
Over the last several years I've researched a lot about various aspects of living a more eco-friendly life. But when it comes to choosing a Christmas tree, everything I thought I was doing right for the environment by using an artificial tree went out the window. And it looks like the message is getting out.
According to the National Christmas Tree Association, Americans purchased about 33 percent fewer fake trees in 2008 than in the previous year. Rick Dungey, public-relations manager for the association, shared a few eye-opening thoughts on the real environmental impact of artificial trees in a recent conversation.
Artificial trees never biodegrade
Although artificial trees can last for years, eventually they are discarded and remain in a landfill forever more. Fake trees are not biodegradable, so they never break down.
Click here to read the full article
Friday, December 18, 2009
What’s Cooking? Recycled Kitchen Countertops!
Upgrading your kitchen can be a daunting task. And while you probably want the most modern kitchen you can afford, it’s also important to think about the environmental impact of any new items you purchase.
Greenopolis, Dec. 14, 2009
Consumers are more aware than ever about sustainable choices for products for their home improvement projects. A kitchen makeover is a great place to incorporate some earth-friendly choices into your remodeling goals.
For instance, wood countertops, including reclaimed wood countertops, are becoming popular again.
White oak, maple, even madrone - a hardwood known for its reddish hue - are popular choices today. Beautiful, durable, and sustainable, wood is a warm alternative to granite and manufactured stone. Wood has its own natural beauty, holding its own against surfaces with cooler colors and textures.
Many companies also now make butcher block from reclaimed or salvaged wood. Reclaimed wood countertops can be made from pallets, water tanks, even telephone poles. Butcher block can also be made from bamboo, a sustainable wood source. Interested in wood countertops? Start with Endura Wood’s maple butcher block.
Click here to read the full article
