A Qualitative Life Cycle Analysis of a Grocery Bag

Authors

  • Riley Williams Simon Fraser University

Keywords:

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), Paper Bags, Environmental Sustainability, Climate Justice, Recycling Inefficiency, Sustainable Consumption, Single-Use Alternatives, Reusable Bags, Social and Environmental Impacts, Energy-Intensive Production, Deforestation, Waste Management

Abstract

This research investigates a life cycle analysis (LCA) of paper grocery bags to assess their social and environmental effects across raw material procurement, manufacturing, and disposal. It looks at the social consequences, including employment and community repercussions, and the significant environmental impacts of paper bag manufacturing, including energy and water consumption, emissions, and waste management. The report also emphasizes worldwide differences in regulatory policies and recycling inefficiency. The results encourage a rigorous evaluation of paper bags' usage and lifetime management as they provide a complex picture of whether they are a sustainable substitute.

Author Biography

Riley Williams, Simon Fraser University

I am Riley Williams, a third-year undergraduate pursuing a joint major in sustainable business, with plans to pursue graduate school and study how firms can embed sustainability into their core operations, business ethics, and the impacts of complex supply chains on forced labour and modern slavery.

The uneven distribution of the impacts of the climate crisis is what concerns me the most regarding climate justice. Socio-economically marginalized communities are those who will feel the worst impacts of the climate crisis and they will feel them first. This knowledge makes the climate crisis feel as though it is one of the greatest manifestations of inequality and injustice in our time.

The article is an analysis of the environmental and social impact of a plastic grocery bag at each stage in its lifecycle, investigating the unseen damages caused at each stage.

Headshot of the author, Riley Williams.

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Published

2025-11-24

Issue

Vol. 1 (2025): Embark Climate Justice Journal

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Riley Williams

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