Re-examining Reusables: Are Eco-Bags Really Eco-Friendly?

Adam Amengual for The New York Times — *Adam Amengual for* *The New York Times*

Chances are that a majority of households (including yours!) have multiple reusable bags laying around. In fact, it could be said that there is a growing addiction for reusable bags.[1]

Ever since a global awareness on the detrimental effects of single-use plastics urged governments, businesses and citizens to make the shift to non-plastic, or multiple-use, alternatives, the production and utilization of reusable tote bags or “eco-bags” have become commonplace. Reusable bags have gained such popularity that they are often used as give-aways in events such as weddings, birthdays, and even as promotional items by businesses. This is rooted in the idea that “reusable bags are good… because they’re friendly for the environment. Disposable bags, on the other hand, are dangerous.”[2] A reusable bag, which is generally sturdier than a single-use plastic bag, has become a symbol for the global movement against disposable and single-use plastics.[3]

Reusable bags could actually help reduce a person’s environmental footprint, however this is conditioned upon fulfilling the intention behind a reusable item – that it is reused.[4] Reusable bags can be grouped with other things that generally aren’t disposed of after one use, such as clothes and furniture, in the sense that they are only eco-friendly if fully utilized.[5] If a reusable bag isn’t used more than once or a few times, then it is just like any other plastic bag.

The problem with single-use plastics? A lot.

What to do with plastic waste has been a perennial problem ever since everyday plastic items went into mass production. The failure to completely address this has led to the proliferation of waste even in places where plastic shouldn’t be found––on the deep ocean bed and inside the bellies of sea creatures. However, the problem is much more extensive than just plastic piling up in the world.

Plastic is a material that never goes away[6] since it cannot biodegrade and merely breaks down into smaller pieces. Plastic also affects humans, since the life cycle of plastic involves the use and discharge of a large variety of chemicals and harmful pollutants. These have been shown to lead to different diseases and deformities such as cancer and birth defects.[7]

Another adverse effect of the dangerous and toxic components that make up plastics is seepage into groundwater. These then flow into the Earth’s water systems such as rivers and lakes and eventually end up in the oceans.[8] Contaminated groundwater could also affect the food people grow since the toxic chemicals can enter the soil and get absorbed by plants. Plastics also pose a serious threat to wildlife as they often suffocate animals who get caught in them, or are mistaken by animals as food and ingested.[9]

The problem with reusable bags? They aren’t reused.

The global concern over “forever-trash,”[10] as plastics have been called, has been partially addressed by governments and businesses through various policies that discourage the utilization of single-use plastics, for example in supermarkets and retail shops. This has led to a new market for reusable bags, eco-bags or tote bags, which are generally sturdier and more durable than single-use plastics.

*Governments and private corporations have advocated for Bring-Your-Own-Bag (BYOB) schemes to lessen the use of disposable plastic bags.*

However, with the increased commercialization of reusable bags, a person is likely to own more than one of them. Because they are so readily available, they may not be used and reused to the extent that would make them actually beneficial to the environment. This defeats the idea of reusable bags being eco-friendly and may actually increase a person’s negative environmental impact.

A 2018 study by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Greenpeace found that the soaring sales of “bags for life,” a reusable shopping bag issued by supermarkets in the United Kingdom for a nominal price, showed that these were being used by many customers as a single-use item.[11] Consumers were being conditioned to treat reusable bags as throw-away items, contrary to their original purpose.[12]

In addition, people often overlook the fact that tote bags have their own environmental impact just like single-use plastic bags. In fact, some reusable bags that are available to the public are also made out of plastic, although they are sturdier because they are made up of more plastic.[13] In a 2018 study by Denmark’s Ministry of Environment and Food, it was found that producing a single tote bag uses exponentially more resources compared to plastic bags made from cheap polyethylene.[14] In order for alternatives to be considered eco-friendly compared to single-use plastic bags, paper bags should be reused at least 35 times, plastic-based tote bags at least 85 times, cotton tote bags at least 7,100 times, and organic cotton tote bags at least 20,000 times.[15]

Given this situation, is it still correct to say that reusable bags are really eco-friendly? Did the shift to eco-bags actually help mitigate the pollution caused by single-use plastics or have they further added to the problem? If people continue to treat reusable bags just like plastic bags, then, no, they aren’t environment-friendly.

Switching the material for bags but treating them as single-use is a false solution to the plastic crisis, because it merely shifts the problem and even aggravates it.[16]

*Shoppers in Thailand get creative as the government imposes a plastic ban in all major stores as they move towards a complete ban by 2021.*

What is the solution? Reuse, reuse, and reuse!

The global movement against single-use plastics is meant to curb the uncontrolled and rapidly increasing amount of plastic trash created by people. Shoppers are encouraged to be more conscious about the adverse effects of single-use bags that an individual uses when considering the number of people using them. The fight against single-use plastic is but one means of addressing the general plastic pollution problem that poses a real danger not only to people but also other animals such as marine wildlife.

It is not only the material, but the system, that has to change.

Banning single-use plastics is not enough. Providing an alternative to plastic bags is not enough. Making something that is suitable for reuse is not enough. The 2018 EIA and Greenpeace report advocated a “fundamental rethink of modern consumerism,” which entails that people challenge prevailing marketing and branding practices that encourage people to buy more than what they need.[17] It is not only the material, but the system, that has to change.[18] The focus shouldn’t be pitting plastic against paper but rather to encourage reuse and proper disposal.[19] The habit of throwing away unused or underused items is a waste of resources.[20] There should be stringent measures to educate and instill in consumers the idea that reusable bags should indeed be reused.

The pressing concern over the proliferation of plastic waste calls for cooperation from governments to incentivize and provide ways for their respective constituents to do their part in eliminating the plastic pollution catastrophe that the world is facing. EIA and Greenpeace provide recommendations for policy-makers to adopt and implement with the aim of enforcing the reuse of packaging. These include:

● Adoption of legally-binding “reduction and reuse targets” for packaging which would reduce the use of single-use plastic packaging;

● Enforcement of the “Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) packaging reform” which would bind producers to cover the full costs of releasing a product in the market, from production to disposal;

● Enactment of a “Deposit Return Scheme” which would impose upon consumers a mandatory deposit when buying items such as bottled water, which deposit can be recovered when the bottle is returned to the seller or recovery unit; and

● Imposition of a nationwide ban on single-use items including reusable plastic bags, straws and takeout cutlery.[21]

At the end of the day, whatever type of bag a person chooses, the goal should be to reuse it as much as possible.[22] It’s better to reuse the bags one already has as many times as possible rather than buying another “reusable” bag.[23] This is one of the best ways to reduce a person’s environmental impact.