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According to the Cambridge Dictionary, something is eco-friendly when it’s designed to have little or no damaging effect on the environment. And something is sustainable (in an environmental context) if it is causing little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time.
Those are good definitions, but the problem is that measuring the impact something has on the environment is very hard for regular people like us. Of course, there are studies and research out there, but not all of it is easily accessible and trustworthy. Some studies are funded by organisations and companies with a hidden agenda. In addition, most people don’t have the time to do research on every shopping decision they make.
So many factors to consider
Do you think about the impact of a product from a carbon emissions perspective, or think about how long it takes to decompose? Do you look at how much water or energy something requires when it’s being produced? Or, do you consider the number of times you can re-use an object before it needs replacing? What about animal welfare? Or fair trade?
Let’s take plastic and paper carrier bags as an example.
You’d think paper is always better than plastic, right? Well, according to the study mentioned in this BBC article, a paper bag takes more than four times as much energy to manufacture as a plastic bag, and the manufacturing process also produces a higher concentration of toxic chemicals compared with making single-use plastic bags. Paper bags also weigh more than plastic; this means transportation requires more energy, adding to their carbon footprint.
The study suggests that if you re-use a paper bag at least 3 times then this helps balance things out, but often paper bags are not as resistant as plastic ones, especially if they get wet, so will it even last 3 uses?
Also, was the paper sourced from responsibly managed forests or is it just contributing to more deforestation? Is it made 100% out of paper that can be recycled or does it contain any plastic? Perhaps to make the handles sturdier?
Ultimately the key to reducing the impact of all carrier bags – no matter what they are made of – is to reuse them as much as possible.
Paper is, however, easier to recycle, and it decomposes much faster than plastic, making it less likely to be a source of litter and pose a risk to wildlife.
Which is the eco-friendly/sustainable option?
As I’m sure you understand by now, it really depends, but when it comes to paper or plastic carrier bags my vote goes to paper. As we’ve seen, however, there isn’t really a “right” answer; it always depends.
What products are you comparing and how much do you know about their manufacturing process?
On top of all of these variables, product packaging and marketing can be misleading and confusing. Claims such as:
- Organic
- Vegan
- Recyclable
- Compostable
- Biodegradable
- Natural
- Bio
don’t always mean what we think they mean (check out my eco terms glossary).
Is vegan leather better than real leather? It depends. If you’re thinking of animal welfare, sure, vegan leather doesn’t involve killing animals, but is this vegan leather made out of pineapple or plastic? If it’s the latter, does the manufacturing process pollute the environment more? Is it actually more harmful to the environment than real leather when it needs to be disposed of? Will it last as long as real leather?
How do I make the “right” choice?
There are always so many variables to consider and as above: it always depends.
Personally, unless there is a valid reason not to, I will always try to pick the more “natural” product. i.e. the one that will leave less trace of its existence on the planet.
What about you? How do you pick a product over another? Let me know in the comments.
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