Say No To Plastic Bags

Plastic bags can harm marine life and other animals. The World Wildlife Fund stated that more than 100,000 whales, seals, turtles and birds die every year because of plastic bags. The Australian government reported that on August 2000, a Bryde's whale died in Trinity Bay. An autopsy revealed that the whale's stomach contained no food but plastic bags, including supermarket bags, food packages, and garbage bags. Plastic bags last up to 400 years and spend the majority of their existence in landfills, strewn across the streets, clogging our rivers and drain pipes, polluting our parks, and threatening marine life.

People are now growing more and more aware of the impact plastic bags have on the environment. They present a growing threat to the ecosystems of our planet --- they kill animals, take a long time to dispose, and if burned, release a bevy of noxious fumes and greenhouse gases. Several movements across the world have already been deployed to monitor and minimized the use of plastics. One of these is the charging of plastic bags in grocery stores. This movement is being tested in Northern Ireland, where additional charges were imposed on customers who use plastic bags. The drive was introduced in 2002 and so far has shown promise --- it reduced plastic bag usage by consumers by up to 66%.

Marks & Spencer, a popular grocery store in England, has also introduced charging of grocery bags so that customers will think twice about the number of bags they use.

Several other shops in the US also have put prices on plastic bags. In March of 2007, IKEA stores in the US charged a nickel per plastic bag in an effort to cut down on plastic bag waste.

This has contributed greatly in mitigating plastic consumption, but not all stores have put a price on plastic bags. In addition, some consumers, despite the price on the plastic bag, do not make the effort to bring a cloth bag. However, there is a growing support for pro-environment awareness and initiative programs, and the price-for-plastic trend is spreading.

The problem with plastic bags is what becomes of them after they are used. Because they are not biodegradable, plastic bags become an environmental hazard. If they are not being used anymore, they should be recycled. Some grocery stores have plastic bag recycling centers. Consumers can also opt to store plastic bags and use them when shopping again.

Another way to contribute to plastic bag reduction is to use just one bag instead of two or more for grocery items. A person really doest need all those extra bags.

Consumers can also choose to use cloth bags. Cloth bags can be used over and over again.

Additional Environment Resources

Article about Trashing the Oceans with plastic.

Natural Environment Blog publishes about the hazards of plastic bags.