| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| cab |
Energy cost/carbon footprint of carrier bags?Can't find good data on this.Whats the 'carbon footprint' of a carrier bag? How much energy does it cost to produce one? [/b] |
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| Nick |
No idea, but I read today that Tesco alone supply 5 billion of these per year, and they almost all end up in landfill. | ||||
| Jonnyboy |
Re: Energy cost/carbon footprint of carrier bags?
1.21 gigawatts? sorry |
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| RichardW |
Dont forget what happened in Ireland. They had a huge up surge in bin bags when they banned carrier bags. How many do end up in land fill but after they have been used INSTEAD of another bag?
Justme |
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| cab |
The reason I ask is because while intuitively it seems wasteful always getting new placcy bags, I'd like to work out how wasteful it is to put that into context with other practices. My gut feeling is that it is well worth reducing use of such things, but that it won't be as beneficial as you might think (and certainly not so beneficial as to warrant the kind of attention it sometimes gets). But I don't know, as I haven't got any numbers. | ||||
| Nick |
http://www.carrierbagtax.com/index.htm
I offer this, not because I believe it, but because there might be some data in there of use, especially in view of the thinking behind your last post. Found it when googling to help, so I can add very little else. Enjoy, I am off to bed! |
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| RichardW |
I guess if you look at a single houshold over a year it wont be much but timesd over the UK it would be worth saving. But like you said other things might be easier to do & be more productive.
Justme |
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| sean |
I remember reading that the environmental impact of a plastic bag if re-used was lower than that of the same sized paper bag used once. Can't remember where though, sorry. | ||||
| cinders |
Tesco now takes back its bags to be recycled.They also biodegrade.Is that good or bad?
I think its good to reuse before dumping ie bin liners,dog pooper bags Otherwise you'd go out and buy these products |
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| cab |
Yeah, I found that thanks. Odd site, rather 'we love carrier bags 'cos we're the industry'. |
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| cab |
What prompted this was seeing a couple loading hemp bags into the back of their gas guzzler. I recognised them as living in our street; I was on my bike, and I beat the home quite comfortably. Strikes me that encouraging people not to waste resources is a good idea, but as we move further and further down this route I think we need to quantify it. As more towns talk about going 'bag free' I think it would be prudent to work out just how big or small an impact that has. |
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| jema |
I have always wondered if the carried bag issue is overblown, I do notice that now we are close to 100% on remembering the reusables, we do still get some carrier bags, as we run out of the ones we have, they are actually quite useful things.
I'd like to see a table, e.g. I walk 10 minute each way to the supermarket, if I was using carrier bags how would that compare to the neighbour with the SUV and the hemp bags driving? |
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| cab |
Thats precisely the sort of thing we need. To do that we need to work out a 'carbon footprint' of a carrier bag. |
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| Treacodactyl |
They'll decompose which can be a good thing but they'll release methane in land fill. I've always thought there are far more appropriate things to be concerned about that plastic carrier bags, such as the amount of unnecessary shopping, the huge amount of waste thrown out etc. Although we mainly use reusable shopping bags I still get the odd bio-degradable plastic bag to use as a bin liner as I have to double bag what little land-fill rubbish we do throw out. |
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| Cho-ku-ri |
Re: Energy cost/carbon footprint of carrier bags?
Enough to power the Flux Capacitaitor, cool. I watched Back to the Future II on Sunday with my sons. I was the same age as Marty McFly in the 80's and we are nearly at the time when B toTF II was set. Why don't I have a hover board or car that can fly? Why? I feel so cheated. 
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| Nick |
Tree huggers have forced technology back around 50 years, I'm afraid. | ||||
| jema |
I wonder if we could work on a table.
1 mile SUV round trip = 100 Carrier bags 1 4 person family return to Florida = 100,000 Carrier bags 1 bunch of Peruvian Asparagus = 10 Carrier bags and so on? |
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| Cho-ku-ri |
I often hear old ladies say " No carrier bag for me, I'm doing my bit to save the environment for the young" while the young Jet off to Ibeza for a 'Sh@g fest'. 
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| JB |
While in the supermarket they do their bit for the environment by asking if you want a carrier bag while cheerfully ignoring the fact that all their produce is wrapped in plastic. There's a good question - how many carrier bags do you use? How many plastic bags do you get? Not necessarily the same thing. |
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| Treacodactyl |
It's also been overlooked that many people pop in to the supermarket on the way home, so in effect have very little extra mileage. | ||||
| mochyn |
If people see changing from plastic carriers to hessian bags as the only thing they can or need do we might as well give up and go home. Using cloth bags is just one, tiny, easy thing anyone can do to help. Cycling/walking to the shop is in there too, as is choosing goods that aren't overwrapped. There's no one thing that's going to save the planet (except wiping out the human race). Everyone needs to do as many things as possible.
We only go to shops when we're out anyway: that is, the old chap might pop into Sainsbury's for me on his way from work, or I'll do the shopping on my way from Welshpool when I've dropped stuff off at the market. |
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| Jonnyboy |
Plastic bags have a myriad of wonderful household uses though. We have one of those elasticated thingys that you stuff them into and keep it in the kitchen. | ||||
| Helen_A |
We have a council who, in their wisdom, will only collect rubbish left out in black plastic sacks. They have started to provide these, so expect that in the next couple of months they will announce that they will only collect things left out in 'their' black sacks.
I think that we are now putting out one black bag a month at most. And usually that is less than half full. Ho hum.... on the plus side the local chinese supermarket has started to give out nice hemp/cotton bags when you buy a bag full of things, but no longer have any plastic. But then they are generally catering to a customer base that brings their own or takes boxes anyway. |
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| cab |
It would be well worth it, wouldn't it? Need some numbers to start with though. |
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| AnneandMike |
Re: Energy cost/carbon footprint of carrier bags?
Energy, not power.
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