Plastic Bags Heading For Retirement?
When
you think of environmental crises, you probably think of the Exxon
Valdez oil spill, the Love Canal chemical waste dump, or the Three
Mile Island near- nuclear disaster. But, do you think about the
devastation being caused by plastic shopping bags? An astounding
five hundred billion to one trillion plastic bags are consumed
around the world annually. That equals over one million plastic
bags per minute.
Of all the plastic bags that are manufactured,
only about 0.5 to 1 percent are recycled. And, even if recycling
rates for plastic bags were to increase, it would not solve other
significant problems, such as the consumption of non-renewable
resources, pollution associated with the manufacturing processes,
and litter.
Plastics are made from petroleum and natural
gas, placing a greater demand on our finite fossil fuel supplies.
It has been estimated that 4%-8% of the entire world’s oil is
used in the production of plastics. Drilling for those resources
also contributes to the destruction of fragile habitats and ecosystems
around the world.
According to the Center for Marine Conservation,
plastic bags are among the 12 items of debris most often found
in costal cleanups. You may think you are disposing of a plastic
bag properly by reusing it as a trash liner for your landfill
bound waste, but 47% of litter escaping landfills via wind is
plastic, with a majority being in the form of bags. Once plastic
is freed from the landfill, it may be blown into a storm drain,
or a creek leading to a river and eventually to the oceans. Or,
it may get stuck in a tree or on a fence. To ensure that your
bags don’t contribute to plastic litter, which can take up to
1,000 years to decompose, replace your plastic trash bags with
compostable ones. If they do happen to blow away from the landfill,
they will decompose quickly without causing environmental damage.
Some animals mistake plastic for food and ingest
the bags, which can block their digestive system and cause death.
Other animals become entangled in the plastic, and can die from
suffocation or starvation. Numerous independent scientific studies
have shown high concentrations of plastic material, including
bags, blocking the digestive system of 177 marine species, including
whales, dolphins, seals, puffins, and turtles.
At least 40 countries around the world have already
banned or taken action to restrict the use of disposable plastic
bags. In March of 2007, San Francisco became the first U.S. city
to ban plastic bags from large supermarkets and pharmacies. In
2002, Ireland placed a tax on plastic bags, which has reduced
consumption by 90%. Bangladesh banned the manufacture and use
of plastic bags in March of 2002 after they were found to have
been one of the key causes of the 1988 and 1998 floods which led
to the inundation of approximately two-thirds of the country (it
was discovered that discarded plastic bags were choking the drainage
system). Other places that have taken on plastic bag restrictions
include Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Scotland, Switzerland, South
Africa, and Taiwan.
You
can make a difference. The best way to help eliminate the problems
caused by plastic bags is to reduce your consumption. The second
best way is to reuse the bags you already have. The third way
is to recycle bags that cannot be reused (due to rips, tears,
holes, etc.). Below are suggestions to help you reduce, reuse,
and recycle your plastic bags.
Reduce
- Say “no, thanks” when your purchase does not require a bag.
- Avoid double bagging.
- Use durable bags and take care of them to prolong their useful
life.
Reuse
- Take bags back to the store for reuse.
- Invest in reusable, washable cloth bags and take them shopping
with you.
- City employees may request a complimentary tote bag, made from
100% recycled plastic, by contacting the Recycling Program at
recycle@stlouis.missouri.org or by phone at 314.353.7176.
- Reuse bags multiple times before recycling them.
- Make a throw pillow and stuff it with plastic bags.
- Cut the bags into strips, tie them together and crochet, knit
or weave a tote bag, hand bag, throw rug, hat, etc.
- Below are links to crochet and weaving instructions.
http://www.marloscrochetcorner.com/round%20plastic%20bag%20tote.html
http://www.ccthita-swan.org/pdf/Crocheting_bags.pdf
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf517076.tip.html
http://www.myrecycledbags.com/2007/03/29/crochet-a-recycled-plastic-shoulder-bag
Recycle
- Many grocery stores have collection boxes for plastic bag recycling.
Sources:
http://www.banthebag.org.uk
http://www.planetark.com/campaignspage.cfm/newsid/7/story.htm
http://earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-background-info.html
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1499
http://www.plasticbag.com
