Wednesday, August 29, 2012

 Why are Plastic Bags a Problem?
They are harmful to the environment.
• Kills animals in the water when they eat plastic bags thinking they are jellyfish
• Builds up in landfills
• Manufacturing of plastic bags is harmful to the environment because nonrenewable resources are used (petroleum and natural gas). The manufacturing process itself uses toxic chemicals, pollutes the atmosphere and consumes energy.
• The transportation of the billions of plastic bags produced annually means further energy consumption, largely in the form of more petroleum.
• Stores give out unlimited amounts of plastic bags for FREE even when the costumer doesn’t really need one
• Cost in terms of energy and manpower is greater than the value of the material produced

Before the advent of poly-bags, people did shop, buy things, bring eatables from the market, and did the same marketing as is done now. How did they did it? The raw material for the bag was decided by its usage. Cloth bags for lighter items, Gunny bags/Jute bags for voluminous and heavier goods. The cost did not justify use and discard attitude. These bags were washable and reusable lasting for six months to a year.
PLASTIC HAZARDSThe hazards plastics pose are numerous. The land gets littered by plastic bag garbage presenting an ugly and unhygienic seen. The "Throw away culture" results in these bags finding their way in to the city drainage system, the resulting blockage cases inconvenience, difficult in maintaining the drainage with increased cost, creates unhygienic environment resulting in health hazard and spreading of water borne diseases. This littering also reduces rate of rain water percolating, resulting in lowering of already low water levels in our cities. The soil fertility deteriorates as the plastic bags form part of manure remains in the soil for years.

It has been observed that the animals eating the bags sometimes die. Plastic goes into the ocean which is already a plastic infested body of water. Fish and other marine species in the water ways, misunderstanding plastic garbage as food items swallow them and die.
The various other alternatives:
  1. Use biodegradable bags made from fabrics.
  3. Nylon bags can be used and reused several times.
  10. The common man is already burdened with spiraling prices, so I don’t wish to suggest to the government to impose a plast-tax. Mere ban will fail, as it has in the previous.

Change Begins with you

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