The Benefits of Biodegradable Plastic Bags

Polyethylene Bags
The bags that you will see commonly used, such as plastic grocery bags, are made from petroleum byproducts, which is the root of most all of the environmental problems that they are the source of. Not only do they take substantially longer to break down or degrade, but as they do they release highly toxic chemicals.

Other Plastics
Other types of plastic bags break down much faster and don't have to toxic byproduct issues that petroleum based polyethylene bags do. These bags are made from plastics that are derived from raw materials such as vegetable oils, starches and even cellulose which is made from wood pulp. Did you know that Cellophane kitchen wrap is made completely from substances derived from wood?

New Plastics Being Developed
As the science of chemistry advances, new plastics are being developed and older plastics formulas are being improved on. The result, is that newer alternatives to todays polyethylene plastic bags are being developed and tested. However; none so far has the strength and low manufacturing cost of polyethylene bags which remain the most popular.

The Search for a Solution
Another reason that polyethylene bags haven't been replaced by another type of plastic bag, is that each type of disposable material that bags can be made from presents it own environmental problems. Even going back to paper isn't a viable solution any more, due to the amount of water that is used in the paper manufacturing process. Also, there just aren't enough trees any more to supply the demand that would be created by going back to paper bags.

About the author:
Written by Tanya Faddelstein. Get all you wanted to know about Biodegradable Plastic Bags and even Biodegradable T-Shirt Bags.Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com/