In article , MICHAEL JONES wrote:
When is the last time that you helped anyone on this site with a gardening question? I think it is safe to say never.
This is a non-commercial site, where people help one another with gardening questions. Your only interest in us is the pecuniary interest of how much money can you get from us, and how fast.
You pollute the newsgroups with your commercialism, as effectively as your product pollutes the environment.
Go away, and take your stinking plastic bags with you!
Plastic bag facts
Approx. 380 billion plastic bags are used in the United States every year. That¹s more than 1,200 bags per US resident, per year. Approx. 100 billion of the 380 billion are plastic shopping bags. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags. Only 1 to 2% of plastic bags in the USA end up getting recycled. Thousands of marine animals and more than 1 million birds die each year as a result of plastic pollution. The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of ocean. Plastic bags are often mistakenly ingested by animals, clogging their intestines which results in death by starvation. Other animals or birds become entangled in plastic bags and drown or can¹t fly as a result. Even when they photo-degrade in landfill, the plastic from single-use bags never goes away, and toxic particles can enter the food chain when they are ingested by unsuspecting animals. Greenpeace says that at least 267 marine species are known to have suffered from getting entangled in or ingesting marine debris. Nearly 90% of that debris is plastic. Americans consume more than 10 billion paper bags per year. Approximately 14 million trees are cut down every year for paper bag production. Most of the pulp used for paper shopping bags is virgin pulp, as it is considered stronger. Paper production requires hundreds of thousands of gallons of water as well as toxic chemicals like sulphurous acid, which can lead to acid rain and water pollution.
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Say No To Plastic Bags The Shocking Facts About Polyethylene Bags
There is one simple action we can all take that will have an enormous impact on the health of our planet and its inhabitants. The next time you shop, don't leave the store carrying a plastic bag. If everyone did this, one of the most lethal polluters created by man would be removed from circulation.
Consider the Following Shocking Facts About Plastic Shopping Bags:
Plastic bags are made of polyethylene Polyethylene is a petroleum product Production contributes to air pollution and energy consumption Four to five trillion plastic bags are manufactured each year Americans use over 380 billion polyethylene bags per year Americans throw away approximately 100 billion polyethylene bags per year Of those 100 trillion plastic bags, 1% are recycled It takes 1000 years for polyethylene bags to break down As polyethylene breaks down, toxic substances leach into the soil and enter the food chain Approximately 1 billion seabirds and mammals die per year by ingesting plastic bags Plastic bags are often mistaken as food by marine mammals. 100,000 marine mammals die yearly by eating plastic bags. These animals suffer a painful death, the plastic wraps around their intestines or they choke to death Plastic bag choke landfills Plastic bags are carried by the wind into forests, ponds, rivers, and lakes
There are Alternatives to Plastic Bags. All of This Death and Pollution is Unnecessary
Countries all over the world are slowly becoming aware of the threat plastic bags present to our world. Many have enacted laws aimed to decrease the use of plastic bags, while others have, or are, planning to impose taxes on the use of plastic bags.
Even large corporations are getting on board. For example, Real Canadian Superstore charges customers 5 cents per bag and IKEA has vowed to discontinue the use of plastic bags in all of their stores as well as exerting pressure on their suppliers to take the same action. More on this topic
These forward thinking, socially conscious countries, cities and corporations should be commended, but the reality is, none of these steps would be necessary if individuals would make the same commitment, or if at the very least, people would do the following:
Reuse plastic shopping bags and wraps Use wax paper instead of polyethylene products Utilize reusable shopping bags made of cloth or hemp Recycle your plastic shopping bags by returning them to the store If you forget your reusable shopping bag, opt for paper Minimize your garbage output by composting and recycling Write to your local and federal governments to demand environmentally-friendly bags (they do exist) Tell others about the harmful impact of plastic bag usage
It might take a little planning and a little more time to say no to plastic bags, but by putting life ahead of inconvenience, each and everyone of us can make a difference to the health of our planet and to all of those living things that have no choice but to live or to die because of the decisions we make. Sources:
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Environmental Protection Agency
Read: Ban Polyethylene Alternatives to Plastic Bags