The increase in use of disposable plastic bags has been a menace to the environment. These bags are very delicate, flexible bags that are used for only a few minutes through disposal, but they are very resistant to degrade in the environment for hundreds of years. Plastic bags are hugely problematic for a number of reasons:Plastic bags are hugely problematic for a number of reasons:
- During production, they consume too much resources, while in their usage they are very limited for one-time use only.
- They are not biodegradable and degrade into microplastics, which are then a threat to both soil and water bodies.
- They posed some danger to the wildlife which either consumes them or gets trapped in them.
- It is produced, transported and burnt and in all these processes its emission contributes to greenhouse effect and climate change.
It is obvious that the situation with shopping bags is much worse, and thus, a longer-term perspective for its solution is required. This is where custom non woven bags stand out as a sustainable solution to some of the many challenges that come with single use plastics.
What Are Non-Woven Bags?
Non-woven bags are made from spunbond polypropylene- a tough and elastic plastic and is easy for logos, images or text to be printed on using eco-solvent inks. The ‘non-woven’ in their name means that the material is created by mechanically bonding the polypropylene fibers together, without using any weaving or knitting process. This endows non-woven bags with higher strength and thickness than the other reusable bag materials such as cotton.
The key sustainability benefits of custom non-woven bags are:The key sustainability benefits of custom non-woven bags are:
Reusability
Polypropylene is a non-woven fabric which is both strong and can be washed and used hundreds of time before having to be retired. Compared with single use plastic bags that will only take groceries for 10minutes before being disposed off into the dust bin, non woven bags can be used week in week out, year in year out. Their first impact on the surroundings is reduced with each use, which helps them have a positive environmental effect.
It has been established that non-woven bags carry exactly 75% of their initial strength capability even up to 125 cycles. Some bags can even endure for a longer time than their owner provided they are properly taken care of and maintained. This tends to reduce waste much more than single-use disposable bags which are common these days.
Recyclability
However, the ray of hope is that polypropylene which makes up the material used in making non-woven bags is 100% recyclable whenever the bags have served their useful life. The bags can be fed into the recycling stream at a plastic recycling facility where the material is collected and recycled again to make new plastic products. This is a step up from the recycling rate of single-use plastic bags range at between 1%- 5% worldwide.
Since non-woven bags can be recycled, it means the balance of the environmental impact again shifts in their favour against disposable plastic bags, which are a significant source of landfill waste.
Lower Production Impacts
This is another sustainability benefit of non woven bags since they do not demand many raw materials and energy to produce because they are durable and long lasting. It takes even less crude oil, water and emissions to produce a single non woven bag compare to the estimated equivalent lifetime use of 1000+ single use plastic bags.
Hear this: when bags are reused instead of being repurchased, there would be fewer deliveries which would reduce the amount of emissions from transporting the bags. Custom printed bags: modern digital printing is much safer for environment than older screen printing although the chemicals are used they are lesser in amount compared to the previous techniques.
Customization Promotes Reuse
Another behavioural incident that supports continued use of non woven bag is the fact that may be branded, designed, labeled with some creativity, care instructions etc.
Bags transform to functional accessories and accessories that people consciously ensure they take with them and even recycle, not discard. Through the lens of both utilitarian and hedonic consumption, it appears that users derive an emotional and functional attachment to bags bearing their chosen brand identities that are lacking in nondescript bags.
Customization also facilitates reusability because it allows different bag designs to be used for event give-aways, tradefairs, conferences, etc. Individuals are inclined to recycle bags with the print of their personality or interest.
Practical Benefits
Beyond the sustainability merits outlined above, replacing single-use plastic bags with custom non-woven bags also makes practical sense for improved consumer convenience and business operations:Beyond the sustainability merits outlined above, replacing single-use plastic bags with custom non-woven bags also makes practical sense for improved consumer convenience and business operations:
- I believe they can contain more weight and volume than the disposable ones which are often quite fragile hence more are needed by each shopper.
- I like the fact that their material is water resistant hence no stains or damage to the content inside.
- Having a unique brand is good as it is cheaper and helpful when companies want to advertise themselves and create brand visibility. When taken outside these bags can be seen as sort of mobile advertisements for the brands.
- It is not necessary in the same extent that it used to be for staff to move around bagging small items or to search for more bags so that they can meet the demand at check-out lines or markets.
For all these reasons and more want non-woven polypropylene as the better option compared to single-use plastics while the latter is preferred by different types of businesses operating in industries such as retail, food and beverage, events, tradeshows, corporate meetings and so on.
The Verdict
Custom non-woven bags represent an easy and affordable upgrade that ticks all the boxes: , sustainable, eco-friendly, convenient for recycling, and can be personalized to promote reuse rather than disposal. As a result, they are the more environmentally friendly and thus the better option than using conventional plastic bags.
The fact that the bags can be branded and have messages for the promoters adds that added value for both the wins that are won during the promotions, promoters get to remind their customers of the brand and create identification among themselves, customers get to show their support for the brand and its values as per the message on the bag.
With such an appealing balance of the ‘green’ factor and other benefits, non-woven bags are experiencing a dramatic growth in popularity across the world, as the reusable bag material of choice of today’s marketer and retailers. The public outcries and social pressures against the use of environmentally degrading single use plastics shall further enhance a total embrace of non-wovens as the preferred solution for commercial and consumer plastic bags.
