Plastic Bags the Widespread Use of Plastic

Plastic Bags

The widespread use of plastic bags by businesses and consumer has been a longstanding concern for environmentalists, wildlife management advocates, and recycling programs. The issues with plastic bags include their low recyclability and the environmental hazards created by their production. Not only are plastic bags produced with petroleum, they are light, and easily travel into natural areas, causing waste build-up and hazards to animals. The byproducts of their production are also toxic, causing issues with air quality and aid rain. Campaigns to ban the use of plastic bags began in Rawanda and India, and by 2007, programs were developed in many other countries, including the United States. Efforts to stop the use of plastic bags and find realistic and environmentally sustainable solutions are critical to ongoing and growing campaigns.

Plastic bags create vast amounts of waste that don't have the ability to decomposed quickly. In fact, the environmental lobbying group, California's Against Waste (2010) estimates that between 500 billion and 1 trillion bags are used each year worldwide. These bags take an average of 1000 years to decompose, and often build up in landfills, with their decay causing toxic emissions. According to a report from The Ecologist, one of the most common chemicals in plastic is Bisphenol A. This chemical compound can behave as an endocrine disruptor and can mimic estrogen, and frequently contaminates our food and drinking water. It can also travel through the placental wall and is found in breast milk, indicating that it can harm fetuses and newborns. A wide variety of health issues and diseases have been linked to Bisphenol A, including heart disease, thyroid disorders, ADHD, Endometriosis, and infertility, and as such, many researchers note that water and land infiltrated by plastics can often become a "toxic soup" (Hawkins, 2010).

In addition to containing potentially harmful chemicals, plastic bags are produced using natural gas or oil. According to Californians Against Waste (2010) note that the process of making plastic bags is not sustainable because the materials used are not renewable. Thousands of barrels of oil are used each day to produce bags for consumption in California, and the overall consumption of oil for this purpose worldwide is enormous. Thus plastic bags, which many people assume are low cost or even free, cost governments millions of dollars in production and waste management. For example, in San Francisco, California, officials estimate that city spends approximately 8.5 million dollars a year to manage plastic waste. In addition to these costs, the use of petroleum in the production of plastic bags produces greenhouse gases and reduces air quality. As such, the production of plastic bags can be directly linked to toxic gasses, global warming, and the destruction of our atmosphere (Hawkins, 2010).

The California Costal Commission also notes that although many people assume that all plastic is recyclable, plastic bags have very low recyclability. Plastic bags are often mixed in with other recyclable materials, and because they are often to store waste, they must be removed from recycling and discarded. They frequently cause jams in waste processing equipment, and they are light, so they are easily moved by wind and often littler public areas, such as streets, parks, beaches, and waterways. Thus, the low recyclability leaves plastic bags present in our environment, where they can cause vast amount of ecological damage and unsightly collections of waste.

The ecological impact of plastic bags is staggering. Californians Against Waste (2010) notes that,

"at least 267 species have been scientifically documented to be adversely affected by plastic marine debris and it is estimated to kill over 100,000 marine mammals and turtles each year."

Marine animals often mistake plastic bags for food, such as jellyfish, and they may also unknowingly swallow or become tangled in plastic bag waste. When the plastic is swallowed the animal may choke or experience serious damage to its stomach or intestines. In addition, terrestrial animals are at similar risk for damage from plastic bag waste. In India and throughout the Middle East and Africa, many governments have a concern about plastic bags because livestock such as cows or pigs may consume the waste and have a similar problem with digestion or choking. When plastic bags collect in roads and clog storm drains, populated areas may experience flooding of the streets and buildings, producing another risk to both humans and animals. Many communities rely on these terrestrial animals for both farming work and food, and if they die it can be an enormous financial setback for a low-income family. In addition, special species of animals, such as the endangered Leatherback Turtle or Indian Gaint Squirrel, found in Indian wildlife sanctuaries (Das, 2011).

The environmental and ecological hazards caused by plastic bags require interventions and prevention, but many environmental interest groups note that solutions are not economically simple (Vara, 2011). Many city and state governments in the United States have begun to consider the option of banning plastic bags, this would, in theory, reduce the frequency of their use. Manufacturers of plastics, however, have countered these efforts because the use of these materials is what enables their companies to thrive. In fact, one group, the "Save the Plastic Bag Coalition" sued the city of Oakland, California for instituting a ban on plastic bags prior to filing an environmental impact report. They countered with the argument that paper bags can cause as many environmental problems as plastic and called the ban on plastic bags unjust. This type of resistance has not stopped efforts to pass bans but it has complicated the process.