GW Khamkar Masale Non Woven White Box Bag W 10” x H 10” x G 4”

1. Material Use:
   • Non-Woven Fabric: These bags are typically made from polypropylene (PP), a type of plastic that can be recycled. Non-woven fabrics use fewer resources and generate less waste compared to traditional woven materials.
   • Durability and Reusability: Non-woven bags are durable and reusable, which reduces the need for single-use plastic bags. This extended lifecycle contributes to sustainability by decreasing the frequency of production and disposal.
2. Production Process:
   • Energy Efficiency: The production of non-woven fabrics is generally more energy-efficient than woven fabrics. Processes like spunbonding, which is used to create non-woven materials, require less energy and fewer resources.
   • Reduced Waste: Non-woven production methods can produce less waste than traditional textile manufacturing. This is because the production process can be optimized to use nearly all of the input materials.
3. Environmental Impact:
   • Less Water Use: Non-woven fabrics typically require less water in their production compared to woven fabrics. This reduces the environmental impact associated with water use in manufacturing.
   • Lower Chemical Use: The production of non-woven fabrics involves fewer chemicals, leading to a lower impact on ecosystems from chemical runoff and pollution.

Low Carbon Footprint of the Eco Khamkar Masale Non Woven White Box Bag

1. Energy Consumption:
   • Efficient Manufacturing: As mentioned, the production process for non-woven fabrics, such as the spunbonding process, is energy-efficient. Lower energy consumption translates directly to a smaller carbon footprint.
   • Lightweight Material: Non-woven bags are lighter than many alternatives, reducing the energy required for transportation and thus lowering the carbon footprint associated with shipping and handling.
2. Lifecycle Analysis:
   • Reduced Emissions: Lifecycle analyses of non-woven polypropylene bags show that their overall carbon emissions are lower compared to single-use plastic bags and even some reusable alternatives like cotton bags, which require more resources to produce.
   • Long Lifespan: The reusability of non-woven bags means that their environmental impact is spread over many uses, further reducing their per-use carbon footprint.
3. Recycling and End-of-Life:
   • Recyclability: Polypropylene is recyclable, and recycling the material at the end of its life can significantly lower the overall carbon footprint. The recycling process uses less energy than producing new polypropylene from raw materials.

Step 1: Raw Material Extraction

Polypropylene (PP) is the primary material used in non-woven bags. The carbon footprint of producing 1 kg of polypropylene is approximately 1.7 kg CO₂e (carbon dioxide equivalent).

Step 2: Manufacturing

The manufacturing process for non-woven polypropylene bags includes converting the PP resin into non-woven fabric and then into bags. This process typically adds around 0.5 kg CO₂e per kg of product.

Step 3: Transportation

The carbon footprint of transportation depends on the distance and mode of transport. For simplicity, let's assume the bags are transported 1000 km by truck. The carbon footprint for road transport is about 0.1 kg CO₂e per ton-kilometer.

Step 4: Usage

Reusable bags have an advantage in reducing carbon footprint per use compared to single-use bags. Let's assume the bag is used 52 times a year (once a week) for 5 years, totaling 260 uses.

Step 5: End-of-Life

Polypropylene is recyclable. Assuming the bag is recycled, the recycling process emits around 0.2 kg CO₂e per kg of polypropylene.

Calculation

Let's assume the weight of the non-woven polypropylene bag is 50 grams (0.05 kg).

1. Raw Material Extraction

$\text{Carbon footprint}=0.05\text{kg}\times 1.7\text{kg CO₂e/kg}=0.085\text{kg CO₂e}$

2. Manufacturing

$\text{Carbon footprint}=0.05\text{kg}\times 0.5\text{kg CO₂e/kg}=0.025\text{kg CO₂e}$

3. Transportation

$\text{Carbon footprint}=0.05\text{kg}\times 1000\text{km}\times 0.1\text{kg CO₂e/ton-km}/1000=0.005\text{kg CO₂e}$

4. Usage

To get the per-use carbon footprint: $\text{Total carbon footprint from raw material, manufacturing, and transportation}=0.085+0.025+0.005=0.115\text{kg CO₂e}$ $\text{Carbon footprint per use}=0.115\text{kg CO₂e}/260\text{uses}=0.00044\text{kg CO₂e per use}$

5. End-of-Life (Recycling)

$\text{Carbon footprint}=0.05\text{kg}\times 0.2\text{kg CO₂e/kg}=0.01\text{kg CO₂e}$

Total Carbon Footprint

$\text{Total carbon footprint for the entire lifecycle}=0.115\text{kg CO₂e (raw material, manufacturing, transportation)}+0.01\text{kg CO₂e (recycling)}=0.125\text{kg CO₂e}$

Per Use Carbon Footprint

$\text{Carbon footprint per use}=0.125\text{kg CO₂e}/260\text{uses}=0.00048\text{kg CO₂e per use}$

References and Scientific Explanations

1. Lifecycle Assessment Studies:
   • According to lifecycle assessment (LCA) studies, non-woven polypropylene bags have a lower environmental impact and carbon footprint compared to single-use plastic bags and even cotton bags when considering the number of uses. (Reference: "Life Cycle Assessment of Supermarket Carrier Bags: A Review of the Bags Available in 2006" by DEFRA, UK).
2. Energy and Material Efficiency:
   • Studies have shown that the energy required to produce non-woven polypropylene bags is significantly lower than that required for woven materials and many other types of reusable bags. (Reference: "Environmental Impacts of Production and Use of Non-woven Polypropylene Bags in Comparison with Conventional Plastic and Cotton Bags" by Thompson et al., 2009).
3. Recycling and End-of-Life Impact:
   • The recyclability of polypropylene and the availability of recycling infrastructure can reduce the overall carbon footprint. Recycling processes are generally less energy-intensive than the production of new materials from virgin resources. (Reference: "Recycling of Polypropylene from Post-Consumer Material" by Al-Salem et al., 2009).