A plastic bag, polybag, or pouch is a container type made from thin, flexible, plastic film, nonwoven fabric, or textile plastic. Plastic bags are used to contain and carry goods such as food, manufacture, powder, ice, magazines, chemicals and waste. It is a common packaging form. Let us have a deep insight into the pros and cons of using plastic bags made from polyethene.
Advantages of polythene :
- Polyethene is useful properties like water-resistant and having a low density.
- The polymer can be also reused once it used as shopping bags.
- Polyethene can be burned to provide a source of energy as heating for buildings.
- Polyethene bags can be recycled.
- Extremely impact resistant.
- Extremely safe to handle and no sharp edges, no exposed metal staples, no slivers from wood.
- Polyethene will not react chemically with core samples.
- The poly box is 5 pounds and wooden box 10 pound nearly equal to half of the weight of wood box it causes easy shipping.
- Nesting ratio of 3.2:1 for polyethene.
- Remains cool to the touch in high temperatures.
- Structural integrity is unaffected by UV rays.
Disadvantages of polyethene :
- The polymer takes a long time period of time to break down in landfill sites.
- Polyethene is made from crude oil, which is a now renewable fossil fuel.
- Large amounts of energy are required to produce the polymer.
- Polythene is not biodegradable, and if dumped in the soil causes harm to the plant life.
- Polythene threatens life in the water bodies.
- The chemicals in polythene affect the survival of flora and fauna of the aquatic and marine ecosystems.
- Polythene is also likely to clog the drains causing problems in the water flow of the pipes.
- In most households poly bags are used to preserve food items. It has been found out, the colourful poly bags contains lead and cadmium which are toxic and cause adverse effects to human health.