Think biodegradable bags are the perfect alternative to regular plastic bags that take hundreds of years to break down?
Well, think again. Apparently many so-called biodegradable bags don’t break down any faster than regular plastic bags. In fact, they may not even be plastic free so when they do break down…it just means they break into microplastics. And hopefully we’re all now well aware of the dangers of those! These tiny plastic bits end up in our water supply, in fish and other marine life…and inside of us. And there’s not a lot of information available about what the effects of ingesting microplastics is having on us.
So…before choosing a biodegradable bag, check to make sure that it contains no plastic! A safer option is to choose a bag that can be re-used many times or one that is compostable (for example, made out of recycled paper).
You can read more about issues with so-called biodegradable bags in this CBC News article.
