Deficits in Recycled Plastic Bags?
While many cities and organizations across the country are seeking plastic bag bans and restrictions, the industry is taking another hit: It doesn’t have enough recycled plastic bags to make new ones. In fact, the plastic bag industry is currently suffering a deficit of 310 million pounds of post-consumer resin, according to Mark Daniels, vice president of marketing and environmental affairs for Hilex Poly Co., LLC, in an interview with Waste and Recycling News.
We know what you are thinking: How could there not be enough recycled plastic bags? We thought everyone recycled plastic bags!
Daniels laid out some additional figures that are very important in this arena:
Got bags? Will recycle! Photo: media.ny1.com
- 97 billion bags are sold in the U.S. annually
- 97 billion bags = 1.35 billion pounds of polyethylene (plastic #2)
We love statistics so get your pencils out…
If 97 billion bags is equal to 1.35 billion pounds of plastic, that means we get about 71 bags per pound of material (we’re going to use a lot of rounding here). With a 310 million pound deficit (times 71 bags), that yields almost 22 billion bags the industry needs every year to continue with their recycled content demands.
This demand will continue to rise, as the Progressive Bag Affiliates (the bag manufacturers’ industry association) has a goal set to reach an average of 40 percent recycled content by 2015, with 25 percent of this coming from post-consumer resins.
This demand will also continue to grow, as retailers such as Wal-Mart look to reduce their packaging usage. The retailer hopes, by using its packaging scorecard, to reduce the packaging of all its products 5 percent by 2013. According to Daniels, Wal-Mart alone buys 20 percent of the plastic bags used in the U.S.
In the meantime, we agree that utilizing reusable bags is always the way to go. But if you’re going to use plastic, why not recycle it? The industry wants it back anyways.
- FMI(09/01/2008). "Plastic Grocery Bags — Challenges and Opportunities" http://www.fmi.org/docs/media/bg/Plastic_Bag_Backgrounder.pdf.
- Truini, Joe. (05/25/2009). "Plastics recyclers seek voice within ISRI" Waste Recycling News
Laura
posted on June 1st, 2009 at 1:39 pm
That seems odd, especially considering that the plastic bag industry uses an average of 0% recycled content for the 40 billion bags used and discarded in the US every year. Instead, they are dispatching lobbyists to fight against cities and states acting to put bans or fees on plastic bags. They claim recycling is the best option. Now they’re saying they don’t have enough bags? It doesn’t make much sense then that there is such a tiny, unpredictable market for bag film. In fact, our local recycling firms are having to actually pay to get their stockpiled bag film hauled away– up to $140 per ton. And then they pay even more when the bags jam machinery. The City of San Jose, CA spent over $1 million in costs for work stoppages associated with plastic bags jamming recycling equipment. Don’t fall for the industry PR. They don’t want it back, they just want you to keep paying for their bags (in your retail prices) and who cares about the trash in the ocean? Just say no and bring your own bag!
Joe Morris
posted on June 1st, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Ms. Berry,
Please do not be misled by some of the figures being bantered about in the bag industry. First of all there is a difference in recycled material (post consumer) and in-plant re-processed scrap and handle cut-outs on grocery sacks. This in-plant scrap can account for as much as 10% to 15% “recycled material”, but does not qualify in the sincere spirit of “recycled material”. Current recycling rates for post-consumer shopping bags are probably under 5%, and at that only one or two manufacturers have the capability to actually recycle them at all. To reach a 40% true recycled content will require using recycled material from sources other than shopping bags and will do little if anything to address the current shopping bag problem. This 40% goal is admirable but unlikely.
Remember, plastic shopping bags are far more environmentally friendly than the alternatives, but they have been branded as the “poster boy” for bad environmental practices by special interest groups who know little but speak loudly.
It is true that the bag industry (along with the Supermarket Industry) missed it’s window of opportunity to take constructive steps to aleviate the issues and concerns of their outspoken critics. They could have taken the initiative to go back to making a bag that was a bit bigger and stronger (like 20 years ago). A larger and stronger bag would result in fewer bags being used at the retail end as well as many more being use as trash bags at home, school, and the office.
Finally, we could make it 100% Degradable (Biodegradable). The 100% Degradable bag has been used in Europe, South America, and many other countries for years. Tesco, the 3rd largest retailer in the World, started using it about 6 or 8 years ago.
Imagine that, a larger, stronger, 100% Degradable shopping bag that only costs about a penny more per bag. And, oh yeah, sanitary, clean, safe, and made in the USA with non-toxic materials.
Ban guns, cigarettes, texting while driving, drugs, trans-fatty acids, styrafoam trays, telephone books, grossly excess packaging, etc., pick something significantly more harmful than plastic bag.
Live long and prosper.
Joe
Josh
posted on June 1st, 2009 at 3:02 pm
If I can remember my reusable bag then I can remember my bags for recycling…seems to make the reusable bag a points items…the one time I forget it would have to buy another one….
I just see no use for the reusable bags as long as I can recycle my plastic bags…
Paul Hueter
posted on June 2nd, 2009 at 7:11 am
I’ve been involved in the recycling industry for over 15 years supplying the equipment necessary to sort, screen, separate metal contaminants, shred and convey material. I’m shocked that no one has given any statistics on how much recycled film material goes into the manufacturing of Plastic Lumber.
Many of you might be walking on the shopping bags you so passionately blog about.
tammy bowers
posted on June 3rd, 2009 at 5:55 pm
I live by a grocery store that their head office will not let them buy the paper bags anymore. So you can only use the reusable bags or plastic bags. The store will take the plastic bags back to recycle them. But like someone else said, “If you can’t remember your reusable bags what makes you think you will remember the plastic bags to turn in.” Over in France they have already banded the use of plastic bags.
RecycleBill
posted on June 27th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Ms. Berry wrote: “But if you’re going to use plastic, why not recycle it? The industry wants it back anyways.”
I’m afraid you’ve sawllowed the plastic industry lies plastic hook, plastic line and plastic sinker. Consider the fact that the cost of using raw materials for new plastic bags is less than the cost of using recycled bags. The only possible reason for a deficit is that the price the bag industry is willing to pay for used plastic bags is near zero. Raise the price high enough and the plastics industry will find itself swamped in used plastic bags. To the plastics industry: Pay me enough to start paying the public for their used plastic bags and still earn a small profit for my employer (a recycling company) and I’ll show you more used plastic film than you can handle.