When plastic shopping bags replaced other packaging alternatives, it seemed like the beginning of a new era; the era of safe, convenient, long-lasting, and less messy packaging. Manufacturers all over the world jumped on it and the demand for plastic shopping bags has continued to increase since then. According to global statistics, approximately 380 million metric tons of plastic are being produced annually, a crazy estimate of five trillion plastic bags are being produced worldwide annually. It is believed that the amount of plastic produced globally in a year is almost equal to the entire weight of humanity.
What is common knowledge? Plastic pollution is real and dangerous. The use of single-use plastics; especially plastic shopping bags and their disposal constitutes a major hazard to the natural environment. Whilst it may take about 1,000 years for a single shopping bag to disintegrate completely, humans are producing, using, and discarding more plastic shopping bags than the environment can take and intend to use more in the coming years.
Why are Plastic Shopping Bags such a Problem?
After plastic bags have been made from fossil fuels, they continue their journey to become packaging materials for stores, supermarkets, brands, manufacturers of different products, and so on; then they proceed towards the waste bin and eventually get dumped in landfills, the ocean, gutters and so on. The real issue with plastic products is their inability to decompose. They can only disintegrate into smaller pieces and even this takes such a long time. Before disintegration is complete, plastic shopping bags go on a journey through various pathways and may end up in places where they can cause great damage.
They are produced in massive quantities but their disposal is not exactly handled in the best way. Americans for example use an average of 365 plastic bags per person per year. A very significant percentage of plastic shopping bags are thrown away soon after use and more than 87% of these plastic products never get recycled. It is interesting to know that alternatives could replace plastic bags for several purposes, however, plastic shopping bags are cheaper to produce and easier for many people to handle.
Harmful Effects of Plastic Shopping Bags on the Environment
The world has seen enough plastic bags. In some states in the United States of America, the production and use of plastic bags have been banned. Over 100 countries have developed laws and strategies to regulate the production and use of plastic bags. This is because the harmful effects of plastic bags on the environment have been discovered and a stitch in time saves nine.
Aquatic animals like sea turtles end up ingesting plastic bags. Statistics report that 34% of the death of sea turtles was caused by the ingestion of plastic shopping bags. Some other aquatic animals can get tangled up in plastic bags and drown. Plastic bags are one of the major causes of land pollution after floods, blocking of sewage pipes, drainage systems, and destruction of aquatic habitats. They also accumulate on land and destroy farmlands. When plastics are left in the soil or water, they begin to release chemical substances that severely affect the survival and growth of important microorganisms.
Plastic bags are easily carried by the wind and can be seen hanging on tree branches, fences, tall grasses, and so on. The number of domestic animals and wildlife that die from intestinal obstruction caused by ingestion of plastic bags which were confused for food continues to grow every year. The blocking of sewage systems causes the starving of creeks, streams, and wetlands of required water and this can lead to a total collapse of an entire ecosystem or natural habitat.
Can the Situation with Plastic Shopping Bags be helped?
One of the pathways to behavioral improvement for plastic users is creating awareness. The devastating effects of plastic shopping bags on the environment and wildlife may take even worse turns if the production and use of plastic bags are not aggressively regulated in every country. There is hope for the planet. If humans can channel more energy and resources into protecting the environment and other living things around them, then perhaps we stand a fighting chance.
Some of the major ways individuals can help include; using alternative options to plastic shopping bags. Legislations that curb the production of plastic shopping bags and their use in the packaging of products are a step in the right direction. In some countries, price tags have been placed on plastic shopping bags to reduce their consumption.
In summary, a combination of legislation and placement of pricing tags has been effective in reducing plastic pollution in many countries. The importance of voluntary recycling, proper waste disposal, community efforts channeled towards clean-up activities on land, the beach, and so on cannot be overemphasized.