Life Cycle of a Polythene Bag:

1. Production:

Environmental Impact: Extraction and processing of fossil fuels (oil and gas) for raw materials, air and
water pollution from refineries, greenhouse gas emissions.

Improvement: Use recycled plastic or bio-based alternatives, invest in renewable energy sources for
production.

2. Transportation:

Environmental Impact: Fuel emissions from trucks and ships transporting the bags, potential spills or
accidents.

Improvement: Optimize transportation routes, use more fuel-efficient vehicles, explore local production
closer to consumers.

3. Use:

Environmental Impact: Short lifespan (average of 12 minutes), often ends up in landfills or litters the
environment, poses threat to wildlife.

Improvement: Encourage reuse for multiple trips, promote responsible disposal in designated bins for
recycling, educate consumers about the impact.

4. Disposal:

Environmental Impact: Landfills take up space, plastic doesn't biodegrade, releases microplastics and
harmful chemicals into the soil and water.

Improvement: Implement effective recycling programs, invest in technologies for bioplastics that
decompose quickly, encourage composting of bio-based alternatives.

5. End of Life:

Environmental Impact: If not recycled, the plastic persists for centuries, contributing to plastic pollution
and its negative consequences.

Improvement: Design for disassembly and recyclability, implement extended producer responsibility
schemes where manufacturers take back products for responsible end-of-life management.

Additional Notes:

Consider the specific type of polythene bag (e.g., grocery bag, shopping bag, garbage bag) and its typical
use case when analyzing its impact.
You can create a simple visual representation of the life cycle using arrows and brief descriptions at each
stage.

Include a small picture of the polythene bag you use to personalize the illustration.

Remember, even small changes in production, use, and disposal can significantly reduce the
environmental footprint of polythene bags.

By following these steps and incorporating your specific product and its use case, you can create an
informative and impactful illustration that highlights the environmental impact of polythene bags and
proposes solutions for a more sustainable future.