Although plastic bags are very convenient to use and are often used by stores to package agricultural products and other goods, plastic manufacturing causes pollution and is detrimental to the ecological environment. Despite the availability of eco-friendly plastic bags on the market, do they have their drawbacks in terms of use? What do experts have to say about this?
In many countries or cities around the world, the use of plastic bags has already been banned or restricted. Taking California in the United States as an example, the state has passed legislation to ban the use of all plastic shopping bags by 2026.
According to previous reports by Dajiyuan, under California’s ban on plastic bags, stores are prohibited from using thin plastic shopping bags. However, consumers can purchase thicker plastic bags at checkout, which are said to be reusable and recyclable.
According to the Huffington Post, while people often discuss the issue of banning plastic shopping bags, few discuss the potential impact of packaging bags for agricultural products (roll bags used in stores to pack fruits and vegetables). There are two main types of these bags, each with different effects.
Standard agricultural plastic bags are completely transparent, shiny, and very thin, while compostable or biodegradable plastic bags feel slightly wrinkled, thicker, usually opaque, and come in light green or beige. They are often labeled as “compostable” or “biodegradable”.
In fact, the type of shopping bag you choose can affect your shopping experience, the shelf life of food, and the environment. In this regard, food and grocery experts have explained the use and related knowledge of continuous roll agricultural product shopping bags.
Emerald Packaging is one of the main plastic bag manufacturers in the United States. The company’s CEO, Kevin Kelly, stated that standard plastic bags are most suitable for leafy green vegetables and many herbs because these bags allow the products to “breathe”, thus extending the shelf life after purchase and helping to avoid bacterial contamination at the checkout.
He said, these plastic bags are mainly used for packaging soft leafy green vegetables, and celery can also be stored this way. These are all living, breathing ingredients.
Biodegradable plastic bags do not allow oxygen to pass through, which can actually quickly spoil leafy green vegetables. If cilantro is stored in a standard plastic bag, it can last for about two weeks, but if stored in a biodegradable plastic bag, the shelf life is less than a week. While using biodegradable materials may make us feel better, it can actually lead to more food waste.
Claudia Taglich, co-founder of a specialty grocery store in New York, suggested using standard plastic bags to pack bread. “They are great all-purpose bags, breathable, and can snugly hold the bread and ingredients inside.”
Kelly mentioned not to use these two types of plastic bags to store any produce with skin or easily scattered during transport. He said, “I wouldn’t bag items like onions, apples, potatoes, or citrus fruits.”
Research indicates that certain fruits and vegetables – including apples, bananas, and tomatoes – produce ethylene gas as they ripen, which accelerates the ripening of nearby produce and can lead to spoilage. Therefore, separating foods, not using bags, may prolong their shelf life.
In general, experts recommend removing agricultural products from plastic bags when storing them in the refrigerator, especially fruits and vegetables that produce ethylene gas. This also applies to food stored at room temperature unless you want them to ripen faster.
However, the agricultural products that are best kept in plastic bags when refrigerated should actually remain in the plastic bags. For example, putting leafy greens and herbs in a plastic bag and then placing them in the refrigerator is the best way to store them.
Kelly explained that this practice can extend the shelf life of agricultural products by many days, prevent food waste, which is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
As for how to handle used plastic bags, Chris DeArmitt, founder and chairman of the Plastics Research Council, said that the most environmentally friendly ways are to use these bags for trash or recycle them.
Kelly also suggested reusing them at home to store items or “pick up dog poop”. Next time you go shopping, you can also reuse them to package agricultural products.
Many people now prefer to completely abandon the use of plastic bags (whether compostable) and switch to their own reusable tote bags, mesh bags, or paper boxes.
Kelly and DeArmitt stated that while there are other options, they both believe that overall, using plastic bags may actually be more effective.
DeArmitt said, “You can choose other options, but from a scientific perspective, it is more costly and has a greater impact.” In theory, reusable compostable plastic bags have less impact on the environment. However, in reality, people forget about them, and the number of reuses is not enough to achieve their intended benefits.
Kelly concluded by suggesting a middle ground approach – only use plastic bags to package essential items, and don’t use them for the rest.