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Maybe you thought that accepting and using plastic bags was harmless? Think again! You are actively helping to make the world a worse place if you accept or use plastic bags. Those bags are not biodegradable, meaning they do not decompose on their own like a lot of alternative products would.
What became of the hundreds of plastic bags some of you used last year? They are piling up in landfills and in drainage systems, and are being dumped in ocean fills which is killing our marine life.
Plastic bags are not a cool thing to be seen with, it's official. Look at the latest fashion trends, everyone cool is carrying eco-friendly cotton bags, and the "in" thing is to reuse and recycle! You are actually following a global business, personal, and fashion trend and also helping your neighborhood, your country and the world to become a better, less toxic and a cleaner place to live in. If you do not get what the big deal is about abandoning plastic bags, then consider this – every year the average person uses between 200-300 plastic shopping bags. Now if you live in a place that has maybe a hundred people, the numbers run into 20,000 – 30,000 plastic bags and then when you think about your city, the number runs in to millions. These bags clog disposal sites, and when they break into smaller pieces of plastic they choke or poison land and marine life – some of which we humans consume, ingesting the toxins in the plastic at the same time in detectable and potentially dangerous quantities. Many of the chemicals being found in human samples of blood or skin are known to potentially disrupt the immune system, cause cancers, or have other serious effects.
Some countries are taking measures to ensure that people are made to stop using plastic bags. Ireland ingeniously levied a hefty 'plas tax'. Cool name, yes and it caused cool things to happen too. It made the plastic bag usage go down 90% in the very first month and it also raised 3.5 million Euros in tax revenue that was put in to green project funds. Other places like South Africa and Scotland are considering levying such a fine. India has seen a partial ban on plastic bags, whereby some states have stopped using plastic bags altogether. Some places in the US, UK and other European countries have stopped giving away free plastic bags to reduce consumption.
It is sad to see plastic bags flying around everywhere, marring the beauty of neighborhoods. Trust me, places like Ireland look a lot better now that they are moving towards being free of plastic bags.
This initiative has been supported by the international fashion community who have designed fashionable cotton and canvas bags as alternatives. The main materials being used in reusable bags are tough fibers like jute and hemp. Hemp is preferred over others for its strength and longevity. A little at a time, industry is adapting better ways to manufacture while minimizing damage to the environment. Informed consumers, choosing and re-using such products, help motivate these manufacturers.
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Fossil Fuel
