Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
Reusable plastic bags less environmentally damaging – report
Reusable plastic carrier bags that are repeatedly used by consumers have a substantially lower negative environmental impact than single-use plastic carrier bags.
This was according to the recently released results of a study conducted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), which was funded by the Department of Science and Innovation.
The study aimed to objectively and scientifically assess the environmental and socioeconomic impact of different types of carrier bags, to provide information to government, carrier bag producers, retailers, and consumers.
A statement by the CSIR explained that a life-cycle sustainability assessment, incorporating 21 environmental and socio-economic indicators, was used to assess the wideranging effects of the various types of carrier bags commonly used in South Africa. These indicators included the impact on water and land-use, global warming, and plastic pollution.
Two key socio-economic indicators added to the study were the impact on employment and affordability for consumers.
“The study assessed 16 types of carrier bags made from a range of different materials. It included the standard singleuse plastic shopping bags that most people are accustomed to, [and that] are made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), with varying levels of recycled content, and with a thickness of 24 microns. It also included a number of reusable and biodegradable alternatives,” the statement added.
The researchers found that the best-performing bag overall was the reusable plastic bag made from HDPE, which at 70 microns, was thicker and stronger than the standard 24-micron singleuse bag. Other reusable bags made from different types of plastics, such as polyester from recycled polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene, also performed well.
The study found that, conversely, biodegradable plastic and paper carrier bags generally performed the most poorly overall, except in terms of plastic pollution. This poor performance was mainly due to their land- and water-use impact.
Anton Nahman, the CSIR’s principal environmental economist, said the study showed that for carrier bags, ‘biodegradable’ did not necessarily mean better.
“If retailers and consumers want to use single-use bags now, then the 100%- or 75%-recycled content 24-micron HDPE bags are the next best solution,” said Prof Linda Godfrey, manager of the CSIR’s Waste Research Development and Innovation Roadmap Implementation Unit. – Lloyd Phillips
challenge for farmers of all sizes. Some farmers have equipment that sits idle for almost 80% of the year, and some farmers’ equipment breaks down during critical times in the planting season, and they would then need to borrow equipment while they wait for their equipment to be fixed.”
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic had also resulted in global supply chains being under immense pressure, creating uncertainty for farmers with regard to equipment and machinery, while the volatility of the rand resulted in increased costs, said Neumann.
Fees on the platform were based on a percentage of the transactions concluded, and there were no membership or subscription fees, she said.
“The benefit of using the system is that money is secured upfront; some contractors have [told us] that they [only] received payment for equipment [hired] six or seven months down the line.”
Neumann said UNIGRO Agricultural Finance, a division of AFGRI Agri Services, would be offering its services to facilitate payments, and users would also be able to make an electronic funds transfer to make payments. – Siyanda Sishuba
• Visit https://axl.app.