IN A NUTSHELL
The significant impact of plastic bags on the environment has gained worldwide attention. Single-use bags are banned in Vancouver, Manitoba, Rwanda, France, Tanzania and Bangladesh. Washington D.C. has a law in place to reduce plastic bag usage which has shown great success. There are dozens of other countries and at least 29 U.S. states with legislation addressing this problem. San Francisco banned single-use plastic bags and the result has been a 50% decrease in plastic bag litter on the streets. A report by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection concluded that the environmental impact of plastic bags was severe and urged the legislature to “discourage the use of single-use paper and plastic retail bags.”
During the production of plastic bags, pellets called “nurdles” are released. Nurdles are small bits of plastic that are highly mobile and are ultimately washed into storm drains or sewers. In addition, when plastic bag litter reaches waterways, the bags degrade into small plastic balls that resemble oceanic food items. Ingestion of large quantities of these plastic particles or nurdles, as well as the plastic bag litter itself, can cause lethal gut obstructions in wildlife.
Plastic bags are made from natural gas or petroleum, and when they break down, chemicals are released into the water and atmosphere. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection Report states, “It is likely the degradation of plastic bags releases greenhouses gases,” though the amount is currently unknown. The particles and nurdles also absorb toxic chemicals including PCB and DDE, a DDT breakdown product. Finally, the actual litter generated by these lightweight plastic bag pollutants clogs storm water pipes and retention ponds and creates urban debris along our landscape. The North Pacific garbage patch, with estimates ranging between the size of Texas and twice the size of the U.S., is a prime example of plastic pollution causing catastrophic impacts on our environment.
The previous is a revised excerptfrom an LA Times OpEd written by Stan Joffe and Jeanine Harris, Earthwise Bag Company.
For the full article click the link below:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-joffe-plasticbag-20100710,0,1664967.story
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