Plastic bags have been popular for many years because they are relatively cheap to produce, waterproof and durable.
However, it’s their durability that makes them so unsuitable as disposable items. They are made from polyethylene, a product of petroleum, which is a non-renewable resource.
They are not biodegradable and are almost indestructible. They take an incredibly long time to break down and when they do, it’s into a “plastic dust” which contaminates animal life, the soil and the water, the oceans and the seas, forever.
Around a trillion plastic bags are used world wide every year (10 billion in the UK alone). They are environmentally unfriendly in the extreme, filling up landfills, blocking drains, littering the land and the oceans.
Many plastic bags are not recycled; they are dumped in landfills and escape into the environment by wind or water action. In South Africa, plastic bag litter is so common it is called the ‘national flower’.
Plastic bag litter has a devastating effect on animals, birds and marine life. They mistake them for food & die after ingesting plastic bags which have obstructed their digestive systems. Birds become trapped in plastic bags hanging off bushes and trees. Whales, seals, turtles and countless fish become entangled in them & suffocate or starve to death as a result. Prior to death, they probably suffer severe discomfort and pain. After death, their bodies decompose and the plastic is released back into the environment where it may kill again.
Plant life on land is smothered and killed by plastic bag litter. In the oceans not all plastic floats, much of it sinks to the bottom where it smothers and kills marine plant life as well.
HOW CAN WE HELP?
Use long lasting biodegradable shopping bags: Natural cotton shopping bags are an excellent alternative to single use plastic shopping bags.
Re-use: All plastic bags, including any existing plastic single use bags in the home or business, should be re-used as often as possible, then recycled when no longer usable.
Recycle: This seems obvious and it may be assumed that everyone is already recycling, however, many are not.
Compost: Reduce the numbers of plastic bin liners you use by composting all biodegradable waste e.g. egg shells, fruit, vegetables etc.
Pick up plastic bag litter: Discard any litter picked up responsibly e.g. in a recycle bin.
Encourage others: Encouragement to do all of the above would probably work better than enforcement through legislation. Many people are becoming resentful of the word ‘green’ as they feel that it is just another form of stealth tax.
Seanid M. Marchant
http://reusablebags.letsbeegreener.co.uk
Today in the North Atlantic there is a floating mass of waste plastic – this is literally hundreds of miles long and poses a dire threat to the ocean’s sealife, with six times more plastic particles by weight here than plankton. And Charles Moore from the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, who has studied this ‘plastic tsunami,’ is concerned that each year we manufacture yet another 60 billion tones of the stuff.
“Every bit of plastic ever made still exists,” he says. The fact is that plastic crumbles into ever smaller fragments when exposed to the elements, but never biodegrades. In reality, we don’t actually know how long it will take for plastics to degrade and although some plastics can be recycled, most require a new virgin layer of plastic added each time.
The negative health effects of plastic toys were well publicised in 1999 due to a ban on teething rings and soft vinyl toys for under 5’s made from PVC containing phthalates in both the European Union and Japan. Although teething rings containing this chemical are now banned, according to the International Plastics Task Force there are other pliable toys available such as bath and squeeze toys which still contain phthalates.
Because of this traditional wooden toys are coming back into fashion. They are made from sustainable materials, can be painted in bright colours with non-toxic paints and they are timeless classics. Not to mention the benefits they provide in-terms of both our children’s health and the environment when compared to plastic toys.
It’s virtually impossible to rid your house of all plastic products to reduce your child’s exposure to the potentially harmful toxins but you can make a choice about the toys they play with. Make a start by only purchasing toys made with alternative natural materials such as sustainable timber or textiles.
Carrier bags and party bags don’t have to be made from plastics, why not choose natural cotton drawstring bags, which can be reused? Party bags don’t have to be filled with cheap plastic disposable toys from the pound shop, it’s better to invest in a single toy your child’s friends will love than a bag full of rubbish they won’t. Not only that, it doesn’t have to cost the earth (pun intended!) there are many sustainable wooden toys such as spinning tops, pencils and pretty wooden jewelry starting from as little as £1.
