In the near and distant future (2015) most disposable plastic bags you get at the local store will be made from up to 40% recycled content.
To reach this goal the American Chemistry Council announced a new initiative to invest in the collection and manufacturing of these bags. The recycling of plastic bags and wraps has escalated in recent years to an estimated 830 million pounds in 2007. This represents a 27 percent increase from 2005. Still, additional material will need to be collected for manufacturers to reach their goal. About 470 million pounds of plastic will be reclaimed for the manufacturing of new bags and will help in the development of plastic recycling and using recycled plastic content. Expect in-store recycling programs and the visibility of such programs to increase to help reach these goals.
Now, not all bags will be made from 40% recycled content and most will only achieve 25% recycled content. And it is unclear if you will be able to tell which bag contains which percentage.
So what does this mean for us crafters?
About This Article
The article Plastic Bag Recycled Content Goal is syndicated for use on EcoFunctional. The original content in it’s entirety can be found here.
