I absolutely love the information on Earthday.net about plastic bags. So here it is for you to process— next time you go into a store either use a cloth bag, your purse, or no bag at all!
You can see the complete information (including a great video) at EarthDay.net
Environmental impact of plastic shopping bags
- The raw material of plastic bags is oil. Therefore, the more we use plastic bags, the more we waste oil – a non-renewable energy source.
- The petroleum-based plastic bags take decades to break down, so if they are not recycled they litter. It creates visual pollution: in the streets, on the beaches etc. Also, they can clog roadside drains, which could cause street flooding during heavy rainfall.
- Plastic bags can be recycled but it rarely happens: according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, only 1% of plastic bags were recycled in 2000, against twenty percent for paper bags.
- They endanger wildlife and particularly sea life such as sea turtles and dolphins which can die of entanglement, suffocation, and ingestion because they assume that these bags are jellyfish.
What is being done
For the past few years, there has been rising international awareness regarding the damaging and dangerous impact on the environment of plastic bags. Governments all over the world have decided to get involved in that particular issue: Some governments have decided to ban them: Bangladesh, Bhutan and Zanzibar.Plastic bags should no more be given for free in China from June 1st. These bags are surcharged in Germany, South Africa, Ireland and Israel. Several countries try and promote, trough major retailers, the use of cloth bags, paper bags or grocery bags: United Kingdom (with Tesco), France (with Carrefour), New Zeland.
In the U.S.
Plastic bags are already used less than paper bags by American consumers, and there have been no government actions to further curb their use. But large cities such as San Francisco and Portland, OR, have planned or plan to ban plastic bags, whereas Seattle, WA will certainly launch a 20 cent “green fee” on plastic bags.
What YOU can still do!
- Reuse your plastic shopping bags: use them as trash so as not to buy others that are more energy wasting; use them for storage.
- Use paper bags rather than plastic bags when you are given the choice.
- Use reusable grocery bags, which always have a lower environmental impact.
2 Responses to “Plastic- No More!”
Cara Mirabella
2 years ago
I bet if plastic bags were part of the recycling pick-up by our DPWs, there would be a lot more bags recycled. I know I forget to bring the bag o’ bags to the grocery store with me. That is the only place we can drop them off to be recycled.
I personally use canvas bags, but I also get some paper in plastic. The paper bags to collect my recycling and the plastic bags to use as garbage bags. I don’t buy garbage bags, so at least I’m reusing the plastic bags.
Wildlife Safari
4 months ago
in the uk, most supermarkets have ‘bags for life’ which are bags that are bigger and stronger than average bags, and the little cost is worth the amount of litter that it saves. another major part of these bags are that if, for any unforeseen condition, your bag does rip they are recycleable, although the idea about complete banning or these bags does sound like a great idea.