Eco Carrier Bags
Eco Friendly Carrier BagsEco Friendly Carrier BagsEco Friendly Carrier BagsEco Friendly Carrier BagsEco Friendly Carrier BagsEco Friendly Carrier Bags

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are plastic bags such a big problem? Back to top of page

It takes around 2 billion barrels of oil to service the plastic bag industry alone. In the UK, we use on average 17.5 billion carrier bags per year, that's almost one per person per day. Most of these end up in landfill where it takes between 500 to 1,000 years for each bag to break down. Think about how many plastic bags you have thrown away – none of them have broken down yet! Even when they do degrade, they break down into a powder form which pollutes our soil and water.

I recycle my plastic carrier bags, doesn't that help? Back to top of page

Recycling requires energy for the collection and processing. Recycling rates for plastic bags are extremely low. Only 1% to 3% of plastic bags end up getting recycled. In addition, the economics of recycling plastic bags does not make the process that beneficial for the environment. From the process of sorting to the contamination of inks and the overall low quality of plastic used in plastic bags. Even if recycling rates of plastic bags increased dramatically, it doesn't solve the other environmental impact such as the use of non-renewable resources and toxic chemicals in their original production.

But supermarkets are investing in biodegradable bags now. Surely that helps the environment? Back to top of page

Biodegradable shopping bags are made of polymers that degrade, or decompose when exposed to air, water or sunlight. Some of them claim to be fully compostable, meaning that they would break down to organic material suitable for plant growth. At first glance, they seem to be a good idea but a closer look reveals some downsides. A similar amount of energy is used for production and transportation of biodegradable bags as for regular disposable bags. Bag littering could increase as people start to believe that biodegradable bags are less harmful to the environment. It takes at least 18 months for most biodegradable bags to degrade. When biodegradable bags break down a byproduct of this process is methane which is 11 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Also, the break down of starch based plastic in water consumes oxygen, resulting in oxygen depletion that contributes to algae blooms and the death of marine life. Mixing biodegradable bags in recycling systems for conventional plastic bags creates a sorting nightmare and can render entire batches of recyclable plastic useless. Water, soil and crop contamination could result from the use of compost with chemical residues from biodegradable bags.

I like to use my plastic carrier bags as bin liners or to throw away my rubbish. By eliminating all plastic carrier bags, I'll simply have to go out and buy bin liners. Surely this defeats the object? Back to top of page

This is a valid point; many people reuse their plastic carrier bags as bin liners. But, not all plastic carrier bags are reused in this way. The majority are immediately thrown away after purchase. By carrying a reusable bag, you will be cutting down on the number of plastic bags sitting in our already clogged up landfill sites.

Why are plastic carrier bags a danger to marine life? Back to top of page

Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food. Turtles think the bags are jellyfish, their primary food source. Once swallowed, plastic bags choke animals or block their intestines, leading to an agonising death.

On land, many cows, goats and other animals suffer a similar fate when they accidentally ingest plastic bags while foraging for food.

Plastic bags cause over 100,000 sea turtle and other marine animal deaths every year when animals mistake them for food.

What about the eco carrier bag, isn't it made in China? Back to top of page

Yes, but that doesn't mean it unethical. Our bag is sourced from a responsible supplier who audits in accordance with local government legislation relating to both environmental policies and staff safety. The bag is made from nylon, which although it uses energy to make, the bag is reusable and so is significantly more environmentally friendly than a plastic carrier bag which is thrown away after one use. The bags have been shipped to the UK in order to reduce carbon emissions.

Research by the British Market Research Bureau finds that 72 per cent of us would be willing to pay for reusable bags, but acceptance depends partly on price. We have worked extremely hard to ensure that our eco carrier bag is both environmentally friendly and affordable.

Each high quality reusable bag you use, such as the eco carrier bag, has the potential to eliminate an average of 1,000 plastic bags over its lifetime.

Doesn't it consume more energy to manufacture an eco carrier bag than a standard plastic carrier bag? Back to top of page

We estimate that the natural resources required to make 50 plastic bags is equivalent to making one eco carrier bag -- the net effect is that the eco carrier bag is far better for the environment than single-use, disposable plastic bags.

Aren't cotton bags better than nylon? Back to top of page

Production of traditional, non-organic cotton commonly used in many cloth bags consumes vast quantities of oil needed for pesticides and fertilizer. Cotton cloth bags are not necessarily always better.

What packaging do you use to post the product, is it environmentally friendly? Back to top of page

We have spent a lot of time thinking about the packaging options for our product as we wanted it to be as environmentally friendly as possible. The problem with packaging is that it is usually discarded immediately the item is unpacked. We have decided to send our bags in mailing bags made from 95% recycled film and containing a biodegradable additive called biothene.

Biothene is made in a UK factory which eliminates the extra carbon cost of transportation. Biothene bags degrade into a non-toxic residue. The degradation process depends on the thickness of the material and its exposure to sunlight, but it is accelerated in a landfill site. On average, the bag takes 3 – 6 months to degrade. We believe that these mailing bags are currently the most environmentally friendly option. Of course if you have any other ideas, then we would welcome your views.

Please also note that the tag attaching to the bag is made from recycled paper, as is the sticky address label which is stuck to the mailing bag.

Who are the team behind eco carrier bag? Back to top of page

We are just a group of people who believe passionately in helping the environment. We recognise that today's hectic lifestyle makes it difficult for people to make a difference to the environment. Our aim was to come up with a simple idea which is an easy method of reducing the use of plastic carrier bags.

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