1/ Recycled paper bags

Recycled paper bags are bags made from recycled paper – paper that has been used as waste, scrap, and processed to form new paper for various purposes.

According to statistics, an average paper bag is reused or recycled 3.5 times before being completely disposed of.

Pros of paper recycling bags

The first is the ability to decompose

Paper bags contain at least 35% recycled material or more. After use they are further processed and reused. In case they cannot be reused, they can completely decompose into the environment quickly.

Save production costs

On average, for every 1 ton of paper reused, they can save a small number of costs and manpower for businesses and society, meaning that the environment is better protected. Specifically, it will save:

24 trees of the natural forest;

The amount of oxygen is enough for 12 people to breathe in a year;

39,084 liters of water enough for 875 baths, 5 minutes for each, and enough to use for 3,000 toilet flushes;

Nearly 4,000 kWh of electricity is enough for a 3-bedroom house in 1 year;

605 liters of crude oil;

Limiting the amount of CO2 equivalent emissions of 1 car for 6 weeks (95% reduction in pollution emissions compared to the process of producing 1 ton of paper from wood).

(Data source: plh group inc.com)

Protect marine life

Paper bags are capable of decomposing well in water, so when going to the sea will not affect marine life

Cons of recycled paper bags

Paper bags cannot hold all products

For products that require protection from water, anti-oxidation, or sharp objects, paper bags are difficult to guarantee that. They are easily damaged when exposed to water. In addition, if the paper bag stains food, grease, it will be difficult to recycle, affecting the quality of the recycled bag.

Difficult to print

Since most recycled paper bags are golden brown, it is difficult to print the colors on demand. Therefore they are not eye-catching.

2/ Recycled plastic bags

Recycled plastic bags are made from recycled plastic – plastics synthesized from used plastic waste. The collected recycled plastic is crushed, cleaned, dried, and melted. Then the plastic mixture is passed through the extruder and is converted to a vermicelli fiber or granular form. They are then used to manufacture bags like regular bags but can be recyclable.

Advantages of recycled plastic bags

High Quality

Compared to paper bags, businesses often prefer to use recycled plastic bags because they meet the characteristics of durability, toughness, and waterproof. This advantage makes the application of recycled plastic bags more widely, especially it can keep items away from water, which paper bags cannot.

Outstanding printing color and brand promotion

Recycled plastic bags can be printed with all kinds of colors and are coated with a glossy or translucent layer to help businesses promote products, convey the message of the brand to consumers clearly.

Save energy, reduce oil consumption

According to a study around the world, recycling 1 ton of plastic bags saves electric energy equivalent to 5,774 kilowatt / hour. At the same time, recycling 1 ton of plastic bags saves crude oil equivalent to 16.3 barrels.

Minimize deforestation

Although using paper bags is also part of the campaign to protect the environment, but in fact, using paper bags also means cutting more trees and destroying forests to have materials for paper bags.

So when using recycled plastic bags, it will contribute to minimizing the use of paper bags, minimizing the felling of trees for paper making, conserving forests, improving air quality, preventing floods …

The downside of recycled plastic bags

Up to now, there is no solution to solve the problem of decomposing plastic bags. Therefore, at the present time, this is a major disadvantage of plastic bags. However, if you create an effective plastic bag recycling cycle, the amount of plastic waste discharged into the environment will be significantly reduced.

3/ Should businesses choose recycled paper bags or recycled plastic bags?

In fact, using plastic bags or recycled paper bags is a good sign that businesses are responsible for reducing waste in the environment. Therefore, the choice of bag will depend on the suitability of the product for each type of bag.

For example, if your business produces products such as pharmaceuticals, fashion, food, stationery, technology products, etc., recycled plastic bags are still the optimal solution to preserve products well and help to remain the value to the users as well as better promoting your brand.

In short, all kinds of recycled bags have their own advantages and disadvantages, depending on the characteristics of the product, the requirements of the business to choose the right bag. Minh Sang hopes that more and more businesses will choose recycled bags to build green and sustainable consumption habits, contributing to reducing waste in the environment.