Rough Draft Plastic Bags

BYOB. “Bring your own bag”. That’s the revolution set forth by a company called Reusable Bags. This company focuses on manufacturing stylish, label-free, reusable bags that help to provide a solution to the mindless consumerism of the nation (Reusablebags). If more people used a cloth bag instead of the standard plastic bag, our world would be a “greener” place. However, the consumer looks at the plastic bag as a disposable, sanitary item that has a useful life of about…five minutes. Plastic bags are difficult to recycle, made from petroleum, and harm wildlife. The question remains: should we, as a country, ban the use of plastic bags?

Plastic bags are considered a disposable commodity. Even when recycled, it could take 500 to 1,000 years for a plastic bag to break down (Query). That is five times our lifetime! Plastic bags are just as soon handed out as they are thrown away in the trash, only to fill up much-needed space in a landfill or end up in the ocean, killing marine life. Plastic bags are made of polyethylene which is a petroleum product. According to Worldwatch institute, “Plastic bags start as crude oil, natural gas, or other petrochemical derivatives, which are transformed into chains of hydrogen and carbon molecules known as polymers or polymer resin. After being heated, shaped, and cooled, the plastic is ready to be flattened, sealed, punched, or printed on.” Four to five trillion non-degradable plastic bags are used worldwide annually; 430,000 gallons of oil is needed to produce 100 million non-degradable plastic bags (Goodyear). While the price of producing plastic bags is cheaper, (two to three cents per bag), these plastic bags are hard to recycle and easily blow into trees and waterways. When these bags blow into waterways, marine life such as sea turtles, whales and other mammals ingest the bags thinking that it is a source of nourishment; however, it leads to a painful death by starvation due to the bag clogging the intestines. When the bags blow into the trees, birds and other animals become tangled in the bag and drown or cannot fly, causing suffering and death. Widespread awareness about the dangers of plastic bags has spread and some places are banning the use of plastic bags.

San Francisco, California, was the first city in the United States to ban plastic shopping bags in 2007. “Under the legislation, large markets and pharmacies will have the option of using compostable bags made of corn starch or bags made of recyclable paper” (Goodyear). Los Angeles may be banning plastic bags in the city as well by July 2010—only if the state does not impose a 25-cent fee on every shopper who requests a plastic bag (Zahniser). Plastic bags have already been banned in Europe and China. Some stores offer a five to ten cent credit for each reusable bag a shopper brings which provides an incentive to “go green” and skip the plastic. Other stores impose a five to ten cent tax for each plastic bag the customer needs—again, promoting the customer to skip the plastic. If there is going to be a change in the world, it has to come from a bigger entity, like a business. If more businesses promoted a “Plastax” or even a small discount for “bringing your own bag,” consumers would be more likely to invest in an environmentally-friendly cloth bag in order to receive the perks. A “Plastax” would involve a small monetary tax that a customer would have to pay per plastic bag needed in order to carry the items out of the store. Wal-Mart is a perfect example of a business that could promote the change we need. While it does pay more for a more biodegradable plastic bag (five to ten cents), these additive-treated bags will only break down if they are constantly exposed to light and oxygen—something that is a rare occurrence (Query). While environmentally responsible, Wal-Mart could be advocating much more green ideas that would spread widespread awareness such as the discount for bringing your own bag. Since Wal-Mart does such high volume it is able to reach a wide-spread audience and make an impact. A concern arises with the dismissal of plastic bags: if we use paper bags instead they are made from trees, so that is harming the environment as well! What is the solution?

Well my friend, that is easy: use recycled OR compostable paper bags! VOILA! While this is not solving the problem of waste or resources completely, paper bags are easier to decompose and recycle after use. And statistics show that more people recycle paper bags than plastic bags anyway! To further illustrate this point, only one to two percent of plastic bags are recycled (Envirosax). The downfall with paper bags is that in order to produce them it requires thousands of gallons of water and toxic chemicals which can lead to acid rain and water pollution (ibid). While compostable paper bags made of corn starch is a viable option, concern rests with the fact that there is a limited quantity of corn crops available in the United States. While recyclable and compostable bags are an option, it still involves the use of a valuable resource, creates waste and a loss of energy.

One viable solution that is extremely eco-friendly is that stores should no longer carry plastic or paper bags. As long as stores are promoting the use of bags, people will see no need to change the way they consume and waste valuable resources. As mentioned earlier, Reusablebags is an eco-friendly company that encourages the use of reusable bags and other items. As a company, Reusablebags has received many awards including the “Green Business of the Year” Award. This proves that people are willing to jump on the eco-bandwagon as long as companies provide environmentally friendly options and solutions to everyday issues. Another company, Envirosax, sells “designer” reusable sacks at a reasonable price, $7.95 for a solid color. They also carry organic bamboo, hemp, and linen bags at $24.95 each. If a customer purchases a “Graphic Series” pouch at $37.95, the company will throw in a free shower timer in order to reduce water usage. While some of these reusable bags are a bit pricey, most are waterproof and made with fabrics that are eco-friendly. Envirosax has received a lot of press in a multitude of nations and has held the “Sustainable Living Challenge” Award since 2006.

While people will never decide on their own to stop using plastic bags, if stores imposed the “Plastax” or gave a rebate for “bringing your own bag,” it would offer customers an incentive to skip the plastic and go toward the reusable bag. In doing my research, I became aware of issues that I never knew existed. I had no idea how detrimental the disposal of plastic bags could be (and is) to animals and to our planet. Imagine a world where there is room in landfills, where marine life and animals are not harmed or suffocated by the inconsiderate littering of plastic bags. Imagine a world that is pollution-free. A world that does not worry about its future, because it knows it can be sustained by itself because people are taking eco-friendly measures. So, next time you head to the store, do not forget to “BYOB.”




Works Cited
Envirosax. Envirosax: About Us. 2004. 30 January 2009 .
Goodyear, Charlie. "S.F. First City to Ban Plastic Shopping Bags." The San Francisco Chronicle 28 March 2007: A-1.
Query, Shawn. "Paper or Plastic." E- The Environmental Magazine November/December 2007: Vol. 18 Issue 6, p22-24.
Reusablebags. 30 January 2009 .
Worldwatch Institute. Good stuff? Plastic Bags. 30 January 2009 .
Zahniser, David. "L.A. City Council votes for plastic bag ban." Los Angeles Times 23 July 2008.