Plastic bags are considered a disposable commodity. For a plastic bag to break down after being discarded, it could take 500 years or more (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 the bag clogging the intestines and causing a painful death by starvation. When the bags blow into trees, birds and other animals become tangled in the bag and drown or cannot fly, causing suffering and death (Envirosax). If banning plastic bags seems like too extreme an option other solutions do exist.
Some stores offer a five to ten cent credit for each reusable bag a shopper brings which ultimately 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 an environmental change in the world, it has to come from a bigger entity, like a business, which can create awareness and encourage action. If more businesses implemented a “Plastax” or even a small discount for “Bringing your own bag,” consumers would be more likely to invest in an environmentally-friendly cloth or canvas 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. 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). In addition to being easily recycled, compostable bags would allow consumers to easily discard of their excess food scraps as well (Goodyear). Los Angeles may be banning plastic bags in the city as well by July 2010; however, if the state implements a fee of 25 cents per bag instead, then the ban will not be enforced. This fee would be charged to the customer requesting the plastic bags (Zahniser). This is much like the idea of a “Plastax.” While the question remains as to the success of banning plastic bags, China and Ireland are great examples of successful plastic bag policies.
Plastic bags have been banned in China. China has banned the production of plastic bags under .025 millimeters thick and prohibited the use of these thin bags in stores. This was an extreme measure for a country as large as China; however, it has proven to be extremely successful in the reduction of pollution and waste. For instance, “Supermarkets and large department stores across China have implemented the ban fairly well, with some even reporting a 90 percent drop in the number of plastic bags consumed” (Reuters). Ireland is another successful example. Instead of banning plastic bags, Ireland imposed a 15-cent tax on each bag the shopper requests. This has resulted in a huge reduction in plastic bag use (90 percent) and additional revenue for the country which will be put to good use. To further illustrate this, the Environmental Minister Martin Cullen stated, “The 3.5 million Euros in extra revenue raised so far would be spent on environmental projects” (BBC). This additional revenue would be extremely beneficial for the US and could be used to fund more programs for the environment. The decision to implement the “Plastax” in Ireland was to take care of the littering problem—a problem that was solved almost immediately by the tax. So, how can the US jump on the plastic-free bandwagon?
The United States could implement a plastic bag ban in an incremental manner. Instead of immediately cutting off the production and use of plastic bags, there could be a deadline date provided to stores. This deadline date would tell the stores that (on a specific date), plastic bags will no longer be produced nor provided and that they need to inform their customers. Before the deadline date, the government could mandate that stores provide customers a five cent discount per reusable bag brought. Also, the government could advocate that stores purchase reusable bags with their store logo on it and sell them at the store. Doing this before the deadline elapses would allow customers to get into the habit of bringing reusable bags so that when the deadline comes, the complete ban of plastic bags would not create uproar or surprise customers. However, the concern still rests in regard to a viable solution to plastic bags.
So, if we ban plastic bags, what do we use instead? Well, I will give you one clue: BYOB. If the United States banned plastic bags, consumers would be forced to bring reusable bags or simply reuse instead of throw away their old plastic bags. This would solve the issue of plastic bags ending up in landfills. According to Envirosax, “Only one to two percent of plastic bags used in the USA end up getting recycled.” As long as stores are promoting the use of plastic bags by giving them away aimlessly, 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. This award says a lot about the company and its environmental ethic. If stores carried these kinds of bags, customers would be more inclined to purchase them—and would not have to order these bags online and pay for shipping costs.
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 people are taking eco-friendly measures in order to preserve it. A world where the government has taken the necessary environmental measures to ensure that there will be a future. This world will exist if the government banned the use of plastic bags. Well, almost. There is no way to ensure a pollution-free world; however, by banning plastics we can ensure that there is a lot less pollution. Pollution that will be prevented by the dismissal and halt on production of plastic bags. While this option is certainly viable and proven by countries such as China and Ireland, and cites such as San Francisco, it would only make sense for the government to impose a regulation on the nation as a whole. Banning plastic bags is just one small measure the US can take to ensure a healthier, more sustainable planet. And since the US is a powerful influence on the world, I think the ban and awareness of the dangers of plastics would catch on. Until the US chooses to make this crucial change, we as consumers can do our part and choose to skip the plastic and “BYOB”.
Works Cited
BBC. BBC News. 20 August 2002. 6 February 2009
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
Reuters. "China's plastic bag ban kicks in to mixed response." Reuters 2 June 2008.
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.
Notes Page
Reusablebags.com sells all different kinds of bags that are eco-friendly. Donate 1% to preservations and restoration of the natural environment. “Bring your own Bag” .
Paper or Plastic: 90 percent of plastic bags thrown away. Takes 500 to 1000 years to actually break down and recycle. Ban on plastic bags already passed in Ireland—they impose a tax of 29 cents on each plastic bag a shopper brings, 90 percent reduction. Drawback: more paper is used—killing more trees.
Additive-treated bags—help the bag break down more easily, only if exposed to constant light and oxygen, only 100 million made, sold at a 5 to 10 percent price premium.
Google: Ban plastic bags, plastic bag facts
envirosax
Plastic bag ban in academic search complete
Blumenfeld said it takes 430,000 gallons of oil to manufacture 100 million bags. Compostable bags can be recycled in the city's green garbage bins and will make it more convenient for residents to recycle food scraps, he said. (Goodyear)
Use ACCORDING to..if using more than one sentence from same source in parag. [instead of ibid]
Envirosax
• Approx. 380 billion plastic bags are used in the United States every year. That’s more than 1,200 bags per US resident, per year.
• Approx. 100 billion of the 380 billion are plastic shopping bags.
• An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags.
• Only 1 to 2% of plastic bags in the USA end up getting recycled.
• Thousands of marine animals and more than 1 million birds die each year as a result of plastic pollution.
• The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of ocean.
• Plastic bags are often mistakenly ingested by animals, clogging their intestines which results in death by starvation. Other animals or birds become entangled in plastic bags and drown or can’t fly as a result.
• Even when they photo-degrade in landfill, the plastic from single-use bags never goes away, and toxic particles can enter the food chain when they are ingested by unsuspecting animals.
• Greenpeace says that at least 267 marine species are known to have suffered from getting entangled in or ingesting marine debris. Nearly 90% of that debris is plastic.
• Americans consume more than 10 billion paper bags per year. Approximately 14 million trees are cut down every year for paper bag production.
• Most of the pulp used for paper shopping bags is virgin pulp, as it is considered stronger.
• Paper production requires hundreds of thousands of gallons of water as well as toxic chemicals like sulphurous acid, which can lead to acid rain and water pollution.
Talk about Europe and other places that have effectively implemented the plastic bag ban
Europe plastic bag ban
China: Banned plastics last June in entire country—highly successful
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