Plastic Bags
Whilst it may seem counter intuitive to many people, the science shows that plastic bags are better for the environment than any other option - provided they are re-used or recycled. A wide number of Life Cycle Analyses show that conventional plastic is an environmentally-preferable option to paper, cotton, jute or so-called degradable bags for most purposes because they are highly resource efficient in manufacture and exeptionally thin and lightweight in transportation. In spite of this, many ill-informed green groups, well-meaning organisations and individuals continue to lobby for bans or taxes on plastic bags. The latest UK Life Cycle Analysis carried out over two years by the Environment Agency shows that a cotton bag would have to be re-used over 300 times to match the low impacts of a single lightweight plastic bag re-used just once as a bin liner for example.
PAFA has produced a range of briefing notes and other information through its subsidiary the UK Carrier Bag Consortium (CBC). Please visit our web site here: www.carrierbagtax.com.