7 Things You Should Know About the Eco-Friendly Bags

7 Things You Should Know About the Eco-Friendly Bags

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(12, 01, 2011)

Outline

1. The Scenario
2. What is it?

• Who is doing it?

1. How does it work?
2. Significance of eco-friendly bags
3. What are the downsides?

• Where is it going?
• The implications of broad diffusion and adoption of this innovation

7 Things You Should Know About the Eco-Friendly Bags

The Scenario

Environmental degradation has soared since the turn of the twentieth century. This can be attributed partly to increased knowledge and technological advancements that have churned out a myriad of products that facilitate comfortable living. The problem arises when these products outlive their usefulness and have to be disposed off without causing harm to the environment. Producers and consumers alike contribute to environmental pollution in their efforts to respond to their needs and wants. Some efforts to stem degradation have had insignificant results, some, like the adoption of eco-friendly bags, are making strides towards the right direction.

What is it?

These are packaging bags with minimal or no harm to the environment, they are conventionally made of biodegradable material such as natural fibers as opposed to synthetic fabrics such as polypropylene. The materials decompose when exposed to the elements. The whole idea behind eco-friendly packaging is based on the use of organic materials to construct most or all the parts of the packaging. Innovation has led to the addition of chemical compounds to plastic bags during manufacture to make them biodegradable and hence eco-friendly. Re-usable and recyclable bags also qualify as eco-friendly (Davis 2008).

Who is doing it?

The packaging industry stands at the center of this important innovation. It is responding to an aggressive campaign by policy makers as well as consumers towards the consumption of environmentally-friendly products. Major retail chains such as Wal-Mart and Starbucks have their own initiatives for ‘green’ packaging (Stern and Ander 2008). The realization driving this innovation is that the responsibility of conserving the environment needs to be taken up by everyone.

How does it work?

The biodegradable concept makes use of fabrics such as hemp, vegetable tanned leather, and organic cotton. The main push behind their use is informed by their property to decompose upon disposal, helping to solve the problem of blight caused by plastic bags. Reusing bags (e.g., bags used for shopping purposes) reduces waste arising from their disposal as fewer are used and fewer are manufactured (Vasil 2009). This effects a percentage reduction in the level of land pollution. Recycling is majorly done on plastic bags to reduce the volume of this material that finds its way into bins and landfills. Some stakeholders have been known to push for policies and legislation which require that manufactures include recycled material in all plastic bags they produce (Hill 2010).

Significance of eco-friendly bags

Environmentally-friendly packaging plays a big role in efforts geared towards making the world a safer place to live in. Their use significantly helps in mitigating t.............