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T1 Single-use Plastic Bags and their Alternatives: Recommendations from Life Cycle Assessments
A1 United Nations Environment Programme, 
K1 plastic
K1 biodegradation
K1 life cycle
K1 environmental impact assessment
K1 recycling
K1 consumer education
K1 pollution
K1 waste management
K1 Health
K1 Marine Litter
K1 Pollution
YR 2020
FD 2020
LK https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/31932
UL https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/31932
NO Single-use plastic bags (SUPBs) are one of the most consumed items globally and much debate has evolved around their environmental impact. However, their alternatives for shopping – e.g. cotton and paper bags – also come with an environmental footprint, and do not necessarily outperform plastic bags in all environmental categories. To identify which solution is environmentally more sustainable, the impact of SUPBs compared to their alternatives needs to be investigated under a life cycle perspective. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a quantitative tool designed for this purpose, to assess the environmental impacts of products and services across their full life cycle including raw material extraction, production, logistics and distribution, use and end-of-life.
DS UN Environment Document Repository
RD Sep 16, 2026