Plastic Shopping Bags Banned
Bye, Bye Bag Lady, Reusable Bags for me!
Challenge everyone in your family to take reusable bags when they go and to avoid the use of plastic bags! This simple step to preserve the natural resources really add when you think of all the plastic bags that you can use in a year. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 380 billion plastic shopping bags are used in the United States annually. Only a small proportion (0.6 percent) of the plastic bags are recycled. As many as 1 trillion plastic bags can be used worldwide each year, or about one million bags per minute. 1000
It takes years for plastic bags to degrade. In addition, plastic bags contain harmful chemical such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and diethylhexyl phthalate, which is a carcinogenic substance (CANCER CAUSING). About 100,000 birds, marine mammals, sea turtles and whales each year or choke to death of plastic bags, or die of an intestinal after eating a blockade.
Whole Foods Market in December 2007 announced that they do not offer more plastic bags in the system in its two stores in Austin, Texas, where the world's largest natural and organic foods supermarket is located.
“Let us be honest, plastic bags filling landfills, harmful to our water systems and animals in the wild, and litter our roadsides and communities. We are discontinuing the use of these bags in support of our Core Value of 'concern for our Communities and Our Environment, “including the establishment of sensible environmental practices.” Did Seth Stutzman, Whole Foods Market the Southwest regional vice-president. “By partnering with our shoppers, we can bring together the plastic bag issue to the fore in Austin to help protect the environment in our hometown and our planet in general.”
Eliminating plastic bags at its Austin checkout counters will be a test for the company and will serve as the first step towards a ban on such bags companywide by early next year. Paper bags intended solely for Whole Foods Market of 100 percent recycled content will remain an option for shoppers.
Day after day, bag by bag, anyone can make a real difference by choosing alternatives to plastic in the retail Checkout counters.
steps are being taken in many countries the fight against the plastic bag. The Republic of Ireland has issued for 15-cent tax on plastic shopping bags, which has curbed their use by 90 per cent in that country. Bangladesh banned plastic shopping bag after finding that they block drainage systems and cause flooding. Taiwan, Singapore, South Africa, and a number of East African countries have also banned plastic shopping bags. The housewares chain IKEA is now charging five cents per plastic bag, and estimates the move will reduce plastic bag use in their American stores with 50 percent.
San Francisco will soon be the first city in North America to ban plastic bags from supermarkets and pharmacies.
Will you be the next to join the ranks of the “bagless”?
February 13 2008 03:02 pm | Environment
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