human
Is the use of plastic bags harmful for the environment?
assistant
The use of plastic bags is harmful for the environment as they are not biodegradable and can end up in landfills or oceans, where they can take hundreds of years to break down. Additionally, plastic bags can be a source of pollution when they are littered around cities and towns. It is important to reduce the amount of plastic that is used and switch to reusable shopping bags instead.