In this section, energy and pollutants data were processed by
using one of the commercial LCA softwareseSIMAPRO 7.2. The IPCC
2007 method (IPCC method) for LCIA was employed to assess the
carbon footprint, which is expressed in terms of Global Warming
Potential of 20 years, 100 and 500 years. LCIA modelling was done
in three phases: GlobalWarming Potential of 20 years, 100 and 500
years by using the same method for China and Hong Kong separately
and for India separately as per the functional unit assumption.
Results of these analyses can be seen from Fig. 1 for China and
Hong Kong and Fig. 2 for India. For the functional unit assumed,
non-woven bags made out of polypropylene score out all other
bags, followed by woven cotton bags in the three territories
considered for this study. Plastic bags and paper bags have very
high global warming potential for 20, 100 and 500 years compared
to non-woven and woven bags. Life cycle inventory data presented
in Tables 1 and 2 clearly enumerate these results and indicate that
non-woven bags occupy better position in this comparative analysis.
For the functional unit assumed, non-woven bags consume
lesser energy and fewer amounts of materials and also they emit
lesser green house gas emissions in the production phase of
shopping bags in comparison with its counterparts in China, Hong
Kong and India.
According to the first part of this study, paper bags seem to be
very much detrimental to the environment in terms of more
amounts of carbon emissions compared to its counterparts as per
the secondary data source references. However this can be further
studied with the inclusion of the positive effect of the photo
synthesis effect created by trees, from where the paper is primarily
being made. This part certainly needs to be included in the carbon
footprint modelling part.