We are all familiar with plastic bags. Plastic bags are essential for shopping or ordering takeout in supermarkets. Plastic bags have silently surrounded our lives.
Plastic bags in life
A few years ago, the state issued a plastic restriction order, and "white garbage" attracted more and more attention. We subconsciously think that plastic bags and environmental protection are an irreconcilable contradiction. But at the beginning of the invention of plastic bags, it did exist as something that contributed to environmental protection.
Design and creation of plastic bags
According to the relevant information of the United Nations Environment Programme (webpage link)
1933-A chemical plant in Northwich, England, inadvertently developed the most commonly used plastic-polyethylene.
1965- One-piece polyethylene shopping bag was patented by Celloplast, Sweden. This kind of plastic bag, designed by engineer Stern submachine gun Gustav Turing, quickly replaced cloth bags and paper bags in Europe.
Stern submachine gun Gustav Turing
1979-Plastic bags, which have successfully occupied 80% of the bagged market, have been further internationalized and widely introduced to the United States. Companies that produce plastic bags began to publicize their products and their advantages over paper bags and reusable packaging bags.
At the beginning of plastic bags, because paper bags were widely used at that time, many trees were cut down for paper making, and plastic bags could be reused, saving paper and truly achieving the purpose of environmental protection. Therefore, plastic bags used to be really environmental heroes.
Plastic bags and paper bags
But later, various problems caused by plastics appeared, and the harm to the environment after use appeared in front of people one after another. For example, most plastics are difficult to decompose in nature, and incineration will also bring air pollution problems. Everyone began to have a new view on plastic bags. It was even named "50 worst inventions" by Time magazine.