In 2015, the United Kingdom imposed an additional charge of 5 pence for each plastic shopping bag in large stores, and in April 2021, the charge will be adjusted to an additional 10 pence each, which will be extended to all stores.
Although charging for plastic bags has reduced people’s use of plastic bags, data shows that from 2017 to 2018, large UK supermarkets sold more than 1 billion bags to consumers, and small retail stores provided approximately 3.6 billion disposable bags each year.
But what we don’t know is that 80 plastic bags are enough to kill a whale!
Fishermen found a stranded whale in the waters of Dammam, Thailand. The staff and veterinarian team, after 5 days of continuous efforts, still failed to save the life of this whale. The whale regurgitated five black plastic bags and died.
In order to find out the cause of the whale’s death, the veterinarian dissected the poor whale that day. After the autopsy, more than 80 black plastic bags were found in its stomach!
Charging plastic bags does not solve the fundamental problem of plastic pollution. The most effective way is to ban the use of disposable plastic bags and use biodegradable alternatives to shopping bags.
Therefore, many countries have introduced a ban on the use of disposable plastic bags:
Kenya banned the use of disposable plastic bags in 2017.
At the beginning of 2019, more than half of the local governments of 29 states and 7 regions in India have enacted legislation for single-use plastics. Banning the use of thin plastic shopping bags is the most common rule.
Eight states including the United States (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Oregon and Vermont) have banned the use of disposable plastic bags, although there is no federal ban.
China will ban the use of non-degradable plastic bags in all cities and towns by 2022.
Scientists have also worked hard to develop a variety of degradable materials, such as PLA, PBAT, PVA, PBS and other materials.
Polyemat is a manufacturer focusing on R&D, production and sales of PVA materials, films and bags. At present, the main products are PVA particles, PVA solubags, PVA aprons, PVA water soluble laundry bags, etc.
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PVA water soluble self-adhesive garment bag
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PVA Water Soluble Film
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water soluble laundry bag
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PVA film has a very high barrier to gas, and the barrier rate to oxygen is about 1000 times that of PE film and 300 times that of PP film. Therefore, shopping bags made of PVA water soluble film can keep food fresher than bags made of PE and PP.
PVA packaging is environmentally friendly packaging. It is non-toxic and harmless. It does not require industrial compost. After being discarded, it is placed outdoors or in the wild. The 180-day biodegradability is over 62%, which is 300-500 times that of plastic bags.
PVA is soluble in water, so it can be hydrolyzed. It is finally broken down into carbon dioxide and water by microorganisms. But this is also one of his shortcomings, so it is not recommended to install items with moisture on the surface.
PVA solubags are moderately priced, cheaper than PLA, and a little more expensive than PBAT. However, there is a small controversy about PBAT. Some people think that the long-term effects of its degradation products terephthalate and its derivatives on the soil are not clear, and more are needed Research verification.
Let us imagine that when people go shopping in the supermarket, although there are no free plastic bags, the use of disposable plastic bags is indeed reduced. However, consumers can still buy plastic bags and throw them into the natural environment after use. Over time, they will accumulate a certain amount of plastic, which will lead to the tragedy of fish eating plastic by mistake and death.
Assuming that the consumer is not buying a plastic bag but an expensive compostable bag, if the final classification and industrial composting are not carried out, the result is the same as buying a plastic bag.
Because some studies have shown that bags made of materials such as PLA or PBAT, without classification and industrial composting, are no different from ordinary plastic bags. It also takes hundreds of years to finally degrade.
But if consumers use soluble shopping bags, even if they are discarded in the natural environment, they will eventually be decomposed into carbon dioxide and water by microorganisms. And PVA has been widely used in the medical field, which is enough to prove that it is non-toxic and harmless to the environment and humans. Polyemat has also obtained a series of certificates, including (no plastic, no heavy metals, harmless to marine life, etc.)
Therefore, PVA water soluble shopping bags are one of the good solutions to replace plastic bags. We look forward to working with you to contribute to the protection of the environment.
