Non-woven bags are plastic too, says study

NEW DELHI: The non-woven bags that you have been using, thinking that they are an eco-friendly alternative to plastic bags, contain polypropylene (a form of plastic), a study published on Thursday has revealed.
The study titled “Environmental illusion: The non-woven bag” released by environmental NGO Toxics Link claimed that non-woven bags were also plastic bags. It revealed that 45% of its respondents had replaced plastic bags with non-woven bags.Though the study was conducted in Delhi, the secondary research by Toxics Link suggested that non-woven bags were used across the country.
During the research, five samples of non-woven bags were sent to an accredited laboratory wherein polypropylene and polyester (both plastic resins) were found in them. The test results confirmed that consumers were made to believe that non-woven carry bags with a cloth-like appearance were biodegradable, which was false.
“The lowcost of non-woven bags, compared with other alternatives, is a big reason why establishments prefer to hand out these. Since the materials used to make non-woven bags are also plastics, these bags, too, pose an equal threat to the environment and are clearly not the lesser of two evils,” said Priti Mahesh, chief programme coordinator at Toxics Link.