IN the wake of American Samoa’s decision to ban plastic bags, Hannah Spyskma takes a look at the choices.

IF not recycled properly, biodegradable plastic bags are just more sludge clogging up more landfills, according to industry officials.
Directors of Zero Waste New Zealand and Plastics New Zealand both say it is untrue that this type of bag is necessarily better for the environment.
“There is no best solution to deal with plastic shopping bags - it’s a continual trade off,” Plastics NZ director Robin Martin says.
This is because biodegradable bags need specific conditions to break down and even then they still end up in little pieces as opposed to disappearing.
The comments come following American Samoa’s decision to place a ban on the use of all plastic bags.
Some regional councils in New Zealand such as Golden Bay already have a no-plastic-bags policy, but Wellington City is yet to join the movement.
Lack of support for use of biodegradable bags in Wellington is reflected by the low numbers of supermarkets that stock them.
No supermarkets in the city use Tauranga-based company eco-pal’s biodegradable plastic bags - and only two packaging stores in Lower Hutt use them.
Similarly, only one store, Commonsense Organics, stocks starch-based plastic bags from Wanganui’s Eden Enterprises.
“The real answer is to have a reusable bag,” Zero Waste NZ director Jo Knight says.
Knight believes the solution lies in changing how we use plastic bags as opposed to sticking with the tried and true standard plastic bags.
She is also an advocate for the use of plant-based products such as bags made from cornstarch.
These break down at a quicker rate due to different chemical compositions. However, starch is still being investigated and is rather costly.
Martin says it’s difficult for supermarkets to judge the pros and cons of using biodegradable plastics, because it’s such a complicated issue.
“From a purely scientific point of view standard plastic bags are the best option as they have the least environmental impact,” he says.
This is because there is infrastructure set up to recycle current plastic bags, whereas there is currently no infrastructure for recycling alternative options such as cornstarch bags.
However, given the right conditions, biodegradable plastics break down better than standard shopping bags. If a bag is thrown out with the garbage, it could become just another product clogging landfills. But if it is put into a composting heap that is tended and gives the plastic breathing space, it should break down.
“It is a critical issue; where you use these biodegradable bags and that people throw them into the rubbish,” Knight says.
Despite the pros and cons of using alternative forms of shopping bags, Moore Wilson’s business developer Terry Christie says many customers still prefer standard plastic bags.
“A lot of people like the convenience [of them], but they don’t dispose of their bags properly,” he says.
Moore Wilson’s is considering changing baggage, but say it is an ongoing matter of cost.
New Zealand currently has no specific regulation regarding plastic bags, but a 2007 AC Nielson survey stated two thirds of supermarket carry bag are being reused.