Eco-Friendly Plastic Bag - Research Proposal Example

Plastic bags have negative effects on the environment with many of them littering landfills. They have created concerns since they take a long time to degrade. This problem can be eradicated by use of eco-friendly plastic bags which degrade easily and are reusable. The method used involved conducting a survey to find out the public perception on use of conventional plastic bags and their reception on alternative bags. The tensile strength test was done on the papers to determine the strength of the papers. It was found out that the eco-friendly bags were durable and easily degradable. It was also established that the public was aware of the negative impacts of the plastic bags and the need to use eco-friendly bags. It is important to conduct more research on eco-friendly bags and create awareness on the importance of eco-friendly plastic bags in conservation of the environment. Eco-friendly plastic bag Introduction Plastic bags are used for packaging and is made of a thin, flexible plastic film such as polyethylene, non-woven fabric or plastic textile. Around the globe, over 500 billion non-reusable plastic bags are used every year while the thin ones are littered ubiquitously. In developing countries, the plastic bags block the water movement in narrow water channels. When water collects in them they provide a place for the breeding of mosquitoes. The thin comfortable bags are a danger to the children because they can cause suffocation. When plastic bags are incinerated, the smoke could cause cancer, asthma and impotence (Khare and Deshmukh). These negative effects to the environment have led to the discouraged use of the plastic bags. To curb this problem, eco-friendly plastic bags are recommended. They are used in several countries such as the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. These eco-friendly bags hold more quantity compared to the plastic bags. They are oil derived products and offered in many stylish colors since they are made with dyes that are both color fast and are washable. In addition, the bags comply FDA regulations therefore are not harmful and cannot cause allergic reactions to the skin. They are durable. The ecofriendly bag is reusable. It is made from fabric such as thick plastic that is more durable, canvas, or woven synthetic fibers. The eco-friendly plastic bags was introduced in the United States in 1977, and were used to bag groceries in the 1980s and 1990s. They were first made of polyolefin-starch materials which did not degrade as it was claimed. Some countries enacted policies that imposed taxes on distribution of plastic bags so as to regulate them. Eco friendly plastic bags are replacing the plastic bags gradually due to encouragement from supermarkets who offer affordable eco-friendly bags and provide information on the effects to the environment due to the use of plastic bags. Universal standards and the compostable logo of the bags have been developed. Over time, also new materials have been introduced. Methods First, public perception of the impact of plastic bags on the environment. This would help determine the public awareness of environmental issues with plastic bags. This was by conducting a survey on random population with consent. The questions could be about habits related to disposal, their feelings about plastic bags, their views about recycling and readiness to use eco-friendly alternatives. A variety of plastic bags were collected from different stores to determine their mechanical characteristics. Each of the different types of bags were cut in strips for tensile testing on an Instron 5544 Uniaxial Tensile Testing machine. The length and the width measurement of each sample was taken and the thickness measured using a calipers. These measurements are useful in calculation of stress and strain relationships of each plastic bag. Results The surveys indicated that the majority of consumers agreed that plastic bags were harmful to the environment. Most people reused the plastic bags in the house while others recycled or disposed them in the trash. Most consumers were willing to reuse bags especially if the retailers rewarded them for reusing the eco-friendly bags. Research also indicates that most plastic bags are usually not recycled due to the fact that they get contaminated easily, therefore they end up in landfills. The tests showed that some eco-friendly plastic bags contained oxo-biodegradable chemicals. Most consumers agree that they should not pay for any type of bag based on the p values. However, the responses showed that some were willing to pay for alternatives. The tensile strength of eco-friendly bags were found to be adequate compared to the conventional plastic bags. Discussion It is evident that people are concerned with the impact of the plastic bag on the environment, therefore nearly 80% of the population are willing to reuse or recycle plastic bags. The alternatives to plastic bags in the market are the ecofriendly bags which are aimed to reduce the time taken by the bags to degrade by either altering the material or using additives that speed up the rate of degradation. The bags are also stronger and convenient because they have an adequate tensile strength. The eco-friendly plastics are easily biodegradable therefore can be decomposed by bacteria and other living organisms. Biodegradation is a natural process of degrading complex organic compounds by micro-organisms such bacteria into simpler and smaller organic compounds. These are of two classes; the bio-plastics and the petrochemicals. Biopolymers are thermoplastic materials which are derived from either various biodegradable synthetic material or starch from plants. They are made from non-woven polypropylene (Ren). The polypropylene is mixed with color pellets at a high temperature, cooled and pushed through a machine that rolls out the fabric. They are processed in a very easy process using the same converting equipment that is the blown film, thermoformed, extruded and injection molded which also make the conventional plastic products. The biopolymers of the eco-friendly bags degrade into basic products such as carbon dioxide and water without any toxicological effects on the environment (Siracusa, Rocculi and Rosa). In case of a manufacture of a bad batch of eco-friendly bags are manufactured, they can be shredded and reused into other products such as concrete items. When the eco-friendly bags are worn out, they are recycled, or biodegrade at landfills, commercial and industrial compost or simply buried in the ground to add humus to the soil. If the bags are left as litter in the soil, they effects of rain and sunlight will cause them to biodegrade. They are also easily digested when accidentally eaten by animals. Oxo-biodegradable chemicals added in some of the eco-friendly plastic bags promote degradation into smaller particles. These additives are approved by the Food and Drug administration and European Union Scientific Committee on Food. Ultra violet light and oxidative process initiate a decrease in the molecular weight of the plastic. Once the bag has been transformed into smaller particles, microorganisms digest the paper leaving water, carbon dioxide, trace salts and biomass. There is need to cut back the unnecessary use of plastic bags and more encouraged use of eco-friendly plastic bags. The bags could replace the conventional plastic bags if the costs are lowered and manufacturing process refined. Stores should encourage reduction of plastic content in bags and recycling of unwanted bags (Mainieri, Barnett and Valdero). Validation of findings There is some controversy if the eco-friendly bags are truly environmental friendly. If there is access to a laboratory, I could authenticate the findings found on the eco-friendly bags and their reliability. This includes finding out the time the bags degrade and the reliability and convenience of the bags by conducting tensile and waterproof tests. In addition I will find out if the eco-friendly bags are consumer friendly by conducting experiments on the additives found in the eco-friendly plastic bags. Implications This research will be an avenue for further research in not only eco-friendly plastic bags but also in other plastic products such as bio-plastics. The research will also establish methods that will make the reusable bags safer from accumulation of bacteria due to frequent use (Ray). This will lead to environmental conservation and less accumulation of non-biodegradable materials in landfills. Conclusion There is need to create more public awareness regarding use of eco-friendly plastic bags in packaging of products. The public should be educated on the negative impacts of the conventional plastic bags and how the solution can be provided by use of co-friendly plastic bags. In this effect, there will be benefit to the consumers due to the durability and efficiency of the bags. These bags pose less danger to children due to suffocation and degrade by themselves therefore incineration which produces toxic smoke is not necessary. Works Cited Khare, Anagha and Sanjay Deshmukh. "Studies Towards Producing Eco-friendly Plastics." Journal of plastic film and sheeting 22.3 (2006): 193-211. Mainieri, Tina, et al. "Green buying: The influence of Environmental Concern on Consumer Behaviour." The Journal of Social Psychology 137.2 (2010): 189-204. Ray, Victor. "Ethical Issues of Environmentally Friendly Packaging." International Journal of Physiscal Distribution & Logistics Management 20.8 (1990): 31-36. Ren, X. "Biodegradable plastcis: a solution or a challenge." Journal of Cleaner Production 11.1 (2003): 27-40. Siracusa, Valentina, Pietro Rocculi and Marco Dalla Rosa. "Biodegradable polymers for food packaging : a review." Trends in Food Science 19.12 (2008): 634-643. Read More