Using recycled plastic bags to protect the environment is not new to many people. And that is also one of the messages. Which anyone has heard in programs calling for green living. But what are recycled plastic bags? And how will recycled plastic bags protect the environment?
What is a recycled plastic bag?
Recycled plastic bags are bags made from recycled plastic particles. Or is also produced from plastics synthesized from used plastic waste. True to the name of recycled plastic, plastic bottles and plastic packaging after collection are crushed, cleaned, dried and melted.
After that, the plastic mixture is passed through an extruder, which presses the plastic to turn into vermicelli or granules. And finally, the manufacturers of plastic bags or plastic bottles will buy these plastic beads. And continue the production process again. Form the kinds of plastic bags, plastic bottles that we use every day. You can watch: Plastic production process.
6 Benefits of recycled plastic bags for people and the environment
Did you know that until now, plastic bags are considered to be the most effective, convenient and cost-effective containers. However, plastic bags also bring to the environment negative effects such as a very long decomposition time from a few hundred years to a thousand years.
But for recycled plastic, it will help the environment reduce the amount of plastic waste a lot. That’s why recycled plastic is being used a lot. And recycling plastic bags will bring the following 7 benefits that not everyone knows!
- Use recycled plastic bags to save energy
According to a study in the world, recycling 1 ton of plastic bags saves electrical energy equivalent to 5,774 kilowatts/hour. Because the plastic manufacturing process is a rather long, complicated process. It consumes a considerable amount of electrical energy.
However, recycling plastic mountains or plastic items also requires electrical energy to cut them up and cook. But the time to use these energies will be much less than the production of virgin plastics. Besides, the process of producing recycled plastic is also relatively and easy, so it is also widely used in the plastic industry today.
2. Recycled plastic bags help reduce oil consumption
One of the raw materials for the production of plastic bags is natural gas or crude oil derivatives. Therefore, the more plastic bags are produced, the more raw materials will be consumed. That makes non-renewable fossil fuels more consumed.
So, recycling plastic bags can cut oil consumption significantly. And according to one study, “recycling 1 ton of plastic bags saves the equivalent of 16.3 barrels of crude oil.”
3. Using recycled plastic bags reduces waste significantly
Because plastic bags or plastic items are not biodegradable in the environment. So they often exist everywhere from land to ocean. But recycling used plastic items creates a cycle of plastic use. Significantly reduces the amount of waste going to landfills.
Therefore, the current recycling of plastic bags will be a suitable method to reduce the amount of plastic waste entering the environment every day. As well as minimizing the effects of plastic on our living environment.