Plastic bag alternatives are currently an urgency when single use bags are banned in many places such as Washington, USA. Normal plastic will take many years to decompose or degrade. However, they cannot be completely decomposed, but only converted into microplastics.

In fact, there are many businesses that use single use bags to store goods for customers to take home, such as grocery stores, pubs, convenience stores, supermarkets, etc. Over the time, the amount of waste will increase. And in this article, Vn Plastic makes a list of the best plastic alternatives to single use plastic bags.

1. Reusable plastic bags

Reusable plastic bags can be reused many times. In 2014, Clemson University researched and confirmed that PE and polypropylene bags are reusable and have a lower environmental impact than plastic bags.

While they are reusable, people often don’t reuse the bag enough times. The same study found that around 40% of shoppers forget to bring a reusable bag or intend to. They prefer to use new bags.

When the Reusable Plastic Bag is thrown away before its useful life, we will cause a lot of waste.

2. Paper bag

To be accepted under most local laws, paper bags must contain at least 40% post-consumer recycled content and must not contain any old growth fibers.

There are several different types of paper bags that can be a good alternative to single-use plastic bags. Types of paper bags include:

• Sacks
• Handle Sacks
• Twist Handle Shopping Bags

Paper bags are very environmentally friendly. It can be recycled or reused many times.

To produce paper bags, people need to use more fossil fuels than plastic bags. Paper bags can completely tear or lose their bearing capacity when wet or damp. Moreover, paper bags are heavier than single use plastic bags. This will increase weight and affect freight costs.

3. Cotton bag

Cotton bags can be made from traditional, organic or recycled cotton. Traditional cotton is made from renewable plant sources, but is often treated with chemicals and pesticides.

Cotton bags are designed to be reused hundreds of times. Cleaning cotton bags is easy and can even be washed in a washing machine with cold water. When damaged or at the end of their life, the simplest way to dispose cotton bags is to burn them.

4. Non-woven polypropylene bag

Non-woven polypropylene bags are made from polypropylene plastic. They can be made from recycled plastic. This bag is very sturdy and durable. People can use it many times until damaged.

Although this type of bag is reusable, it cannot be washed often. After repeated reuse, the bag may contain harmful bacteria to the consumer.

5. Woven Polypropylene Bag

Woven polypropylene bags are manufactured from recycled polypropylene. Plastic fibers are stretched and woven together to form a fabric. Then people use that fabric to sew into bags and can be reused many times.

The woven polypropylene bags are very strong and durable. However, because it cannot be washed regularly, the possibility of unsafe hygiene is very high.

6. Compostable bags

This type of plastic bag can be made from renewable raw materials. They are completely compostable in normal environment. The composing ability of this bag is also unaffected if printed with soy-based inks.

Also, because it’s very easy to compost, the use time of this bag is also short. Users need to store the bag in dry condition, away from sunlight. The appearance of the bag looks very similar to single use bags. So it is easy to confuse people.

7. Jute bag

Jute bags are made from vegetable fibers that are spun into yarn. So they are very durable and strong. The advantage of this type of bag is very environmentally friendly. The raw material source for the production of jute bags is from nature. It can spontaneously decompose into organic materials. These bags can be reused many times until they start to fray and deteriorate or out of order.

However, jute bags are difficult to clean with normal washing. Sometimes, to prevent moisture and increase the durability of jute bags, people have to treat them with chemicals. So the natural compostability of jute bags is also greatly affected.

Final thoughts: plastic bag alternatives

Finding solution for plastic bag alternatives is inevitable. However, this also faces many difficulties when changing because of funding, national policies, and business needs. Up to now, many businesses still choose to use biodegradable bags with different designs such as Plastic Bag on Roll, Plastic T shirt Bag, Plastic block header bag, Plastic Flat bag. In particular, when producing these bags in Vietnam and then importing them, the cost will be significantly reduced.

If you are looking for a plastic bag manufacturer in Vietnam, please contact Vn Plastic immediately to receive the most thoughtful advice.

Thank you all for reading!