The Scenario
An average American housewife opens more than three thousand packages and plastic or another kind of bags. When this housewife goes to an average American supermarket she faces an exhibit of more than fifty thousand packed items. Numerous items are wrapped in plastic. Later this day the lady goes to the local park to enjoy some rest in the open air and she sees that the environment is getting worse – the air is not that fresh as she expected. What is the connection? Numerous kinds of packages are proved to be harmful to the environment. Nowadays the world is getting more concerned about environmental protection and the use of eco-friendly bags in particular. The environment will benefit greatly from applying eco-friendly bags that pose minimal harm to it.
What is it?
Eco-friendly bags are packaging bags with minimal or no harm to the environment which are conventionally made of biodegradable material such as natural fibers. The whole idea behind eco-friendly packaging is based on the use of organic materials not harmful to the environment. Innovation has led to the addition of chemical compounds to plastic bags to make them biodegradable and hence eco-friendly. Re-usable and recyclable bags also qualify as eco-friendly (Davis 2008).
Who is doing it?
The packaging industry stands at the center of this important innovation. It responds to an aggressive campaign by policymakers and consumers towards the use of environmentally-friendly products. Major retail chains such as Wal-Mart and Starbucks have their initiatives for ‘green’ packaging (Stern and Ander 2008).
How does it work?
The main push behind the use of these bags is informed by their property to decompose upon disposal, helping to solve the problem of blight caused by plastic bags. Reusing bags reduces waste arising from their disposal as fewer bags are used and manufactured (Vasil 2009). Recycling is majorly done to reduce the volume of plastics. Some stakeholders have been known to push for policies and legislation which require that manufacturers include recycled material in all plastic bags they produce (Hill 2010).
Why is it significant?
Environmentally-friendly packaging plays a big role in efforts geared towards making the world a safer place to live in. Their use significantly helps in mitigating the soaring levels of pollution caused by the disposal of materials that do not decompose. Reusable bags reduce the cost of packaging for both customers and retail operators (Stern and Ander 2008).
What are the downsides?
Certain studies have indicated that eco-friendly bags may even be more harmful than pure polythene bags. Scientific research occasioned by the UK government found them to have harmful effects on the environment. Tesco, a leading retail chain proponent for the use of this kind of packaging is already pulling them out of its stores (Poulter 2011).
Where is it going?
Sustained awareness of the need to conserve the environment has ensured that consumers lean towards buying products packed in eco-friendly material. Companies are also using this opportunity to gain leverage against the competition (Stern and Ander 2008).
The implications of broad diffusion and adoption of this innovation
Adopting the use of eco-friendly bags on a large scale carries a lot of benefits to the environment. It will reduce the level of pollution by a wide margin; will reduce the amount of material that goes into production, and save energy. This innovation underlines the need for continued efforts to reverse the damage humanity has inflicted on nature.
Reference List
Davis, S. 2008. Your Eco-Friendly Home: Buying, Building, Or Remodeling Green. New York: AMACOM.
Hill, M. K. 2010. Understanding Environmental Pollution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Poulter, S. 2011. “Myth of ‘eco-friendly’ bags exposed as Tesco dumps ‘green’ carriers that may actually harm the environment”. MailOnline.
Stern, N. Z., and Willard N. A. 2008. Greentailing and other revolutions in retail:hot ideas that are grabbing customer’s attention and raising profits. Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons.
Vasil, A. 2009. Ecoholic:Your Guide to the Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products, and Services. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.