Green shopping bags not so green after all

With everyone harping on about global warming, pollution and all things environmentally evil, the biodegradable plastic bag was eventually introduced and considered revolutionary, and then the polypropylene ‘Green Bag’ entered the picture and – sigh – hippie chic was in again. Pollution hazards had been controlled. Not.

On the larger scale, these advancements and substitutes for plastic have only had a minor effect on the issue of pollution as the degradation of said ‘environmental saviours’ still take years at a time. The ‘Plastic Votex’ – a large patch of the Pacific Ocean where most maritime currents eventuate – is evidence that we need another, faster alternative. Enter the science students of Murdoch University, WA, whose research has lead to groundbreaking results.

The woven paper ‘Bebak Bag’ (that’s it mostly biodegraded on the left) appears to tick all the boxes – it’s rapidly biodegradable (taking approximately one month), is made from sustainable content, rid of all chemicals, and highly functional.

With the growing support of banning plastic bags via legislation throughout the nation, the alternatives still hold biodegradable constraints so until the Bebak becomes more widely accessible, take one for the team, and slow down on buying new green, or whatever colour bags.