Plastic Bags Petroleum Usage

Plastic bags start as crude oil natural gas or other petrochemical derivatives which are transformed into chains of hydrogen and carbon molecules known as polymers or polymer resin.

Plastic bags petroleum usage.

Plastics use has come under increased scrutiny as waste makes its way into the oceans where it harms marine life prompting several countries to ban partly ban or tax single use plastic bags. Therefore plastic contributes significantly to the depletion of this valuable resource making the prices of petroleum products to rise every passing day. Earth911 it cost more to produce paper bags than it take to produce plastic bags. Plastic bags and petroleum are intrinsically linked.

It is estimated that about 12 million barrels of oil a year are used in making the plastic bags used in the us. An average american throws away about 10 bags a week. Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year which require 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture. Plastic bags are made from petroleum products production of plastic takes 60 100 million barrels of oil from the world s petroleum reserves.

About 8 to 10 of our total oil supply goes to making plastic. This non renewable resource can arguably be better used for more beneficial activities like transportation or heating. It only takes about 14 plastic bags for the equivalent of the gas required to drive one mile. The recovery rate for paper bags and sacks is around 50 epa tote bags recyclable bags.

It would take only 14 plastic bags to drive one mile. On march 1 2020 a new bag waste reduction law took effect in new york state where over 23 billion plastic bags are typically used each year. According to waste management only 1 percent of plastic bags are returned. 10 facts about single use plastic bags.

Americans use around 10 billion plastic bags each year which is equal to cutting 14 million tree each year. Plastic bags can be seen stuck in trees as litter in our neighborhoods and floating in our waterways. The average american family takes home almost 1 500 plastic shopping bags a year. Secretariat of the pacific regional environment programme each year 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide.

As opposed to petroleum based plastic bags webber claims two thirds of the energy used to make paper comes from renewable biomass residuals such as tree limbs and bark that are used as a. Plastic bag usage affects both our communities and environment. The amount of petroleum used to make a plastic bag would drive a car about 115 meters.