28 Nov Plastic Bags: Suffocating the World

It is hard to imagine the extent of the plastic bag problem until we look at the numbers, see the amount of material being used to produce these bags and then realize that most of these bags may last in the environment for hundreds of years. Take a look at the infographic and consider the amount of waste these bags represent, think about the percentage of these bags that end up in oceans and landfills, along roadsides, in trees and litter our landscape and then bear in mind that they will last longer than the person who used the bags will live.  Is that you?  The initial cost of producing plastic bags should include a tax that will help with the massive cleanup that is needed to rid us of this growing problem.

It is interesting how dependent we have become on plastic bags.  When plastic bags were first introduced no one liked them.  The bags were ugly and noisy.  They were hard to handle since they didn’t hold their shape like previous bags.  They were difficult to use because their contents would roll around the car or in the trunk of the vehicle while it was in motion.  Most people complained about these bags so loudly it is hard to imagine we would come to rely on them so completely.   It is more than time for a new solution.  It is time for leaders in our community to take consistent action to eliminate use of plastic bags and help us dedicate ourselves to reusable bags.  Become an advocate for the environment.  Remember  … use your reusable bags, become a net zero advocate and support environmental preservation.