Plastic BagsPlastic Bags

- an environmental nuisance - an environmental nuisance

According to the National Geographic News September 2, 2003, somewhere According to the National Geographic News September 2, 2003, somewhere between 500 million and a trillion plastic bags are consumed each year.between 500 million and a trillion plastic bags are consumed each year.

Less than 1% plastic bags are recycled. The cost of recycling a bag is much more Less than 1% plastic bags are recycled. The cost of recycling a bag is much more than producing a new one.than producing a new one.

Then…Then… Where Do They Go? Where Do They Go?

A study in 1975 showed oceangoing vessels together dumped 8 million pounds A study in 1975 showed oceangoing vessels together dumped 8 million pounds of plastic annually. The real reason that the world’s landfills were not of plastic annually. The real reason that the world’s landfills were not overflowing because most of it ended up in ocean-fill.overflowing because most of it ended up in ocean-fill.

Bags get blown Bags get blown around…around…

……to different parts of our to different parts of our landslands

……and to our seas, lakes and and to our seas, lakes and rivers.rivers.

Bags find their way into the sea via drains Bags find their way into the sea via drains

and sewage pipesand sewage pipes

Plastic bags have been found floating north Plastic bags have been found floating north of the Arctic Circle near Spitzbergen, and as of the Arctic Circle near Spitzbergen, and as

far south as the Falkland Islandsfar south as the Falkland Islands

Plastic bags photodegrade:Plastic bags photodegrade:Over time they break down into smaller, Over time they break down into smaller, more toxic petro-polymersmore toxic petro-polymers

which eventually contaminate soils and which eventually contaminate soils and waterwayswaterways

As a consequence microscopic particles can As a consequence microscopic particles can enter the food chainenter the food chain

The effect on wildlife can be catastrophicThe effect on wildlife can be catastrophic

Birds become terminally entangledBirds become terminally entangled

Nearly 200 different species of sea life Nearly 200 different species of sea life including whales, dolphins, seals and turtles including whales, dolphins, seals and turtles

die due to plastic bagsdie due to plastic bags

So…So…What do we do?What do we do?

If we use a cloth bag, If we use a cloth bag,

we can save 6 bags a weekwe can save 6 bags a week

That's 24 bags a monthThat's 24 bags a month

That's 288 bags a yearThat's 288 bags a year

That's 22,176 bags That's 22,176 bags in an average life timein an average life time

If just If just 1 out of 51 out of 5 people in our country did people in our country did this we would save 1,330,560,000,000 bags this we would save 1,330,560,000,000 bags over our life timeover our life time

Be self conscious and avoid using plastic bags.Be self conscious and avoid using plastic bags.

THANK YOU.THANK YOU.