Source: Planet Ark While these facts paint a grim picture, an October 2003 Roy Morgan study showed that 87% of Australians were concerned about the impact plastic bags have on the environment. As a result of the heavy use of toxic chemicals in the process, paper is responsible for 70 times more air pollution and 50 times more water pollution than plastic bag production according to a Washington Post analysis, resulting in more toxicity to humans and the environment than HDPE bags. Drawbacks of ban 1. Another carrier bag LCA done in the UK found that polypropylene bags only need to be reused 11 times to have the same impact as a single-use bag. The main reason behind the negative impact of plastic bags on our environment is the inability to dispose of them in a way that will help eliminate the problem (C.M. If 40% of all single-use plastic bags were reused, you would need to use your green bag 14 times to have the same environmental impact. Reprocessing single-use plastic (HDPE) bags would be a good policy goal to cut down on their environmental impact. Plastic bags tend to disrupt the environment in a serious way. They get into soil and slowly release toxic chemicals. They eventually break down into the soil, with the unfortunate result being that animals eat them and often choke and die. Analysis of Strategies to Reduce Single-Use Plastics. Plastic!BagBans:!!!!! Method of data analysis – – – – – – -43. Production of plastic takes 60-100 million barrels … Plastic bags can have various negative impacts on the environment. And in the same analysis, a cotton bag … Due to public concern over the environmental impacts of plastic shopping bags many countries, states, towns and councils are implementing measures to address their use.While a number of individual retailers in New Zealand have taken steps to reduce plastic bag consumption, there has been limited national or regional The production of plastic bags is very energy-dependent and not... 2. Furthermore, animals can get trapped with bags around their heads causing them to suffocate. Examples abound, from the gray whale that died after stranding near Seattle in 2010 with more than 20 plastic bags, a golf ball, and other rubbish in its stomach to the harbor seal pup found dead on the Scottish island of Skye, its intestines fouled by a small piece of plastic wrapper. [1] Plastic bag litter makes up as much as 25 percent of the litter stream and significantly impacts our communities and the environment. Plastic Bags Ban - Cost-benefit analysis 1. One major victory for the environment has been a decrease in the use of plastic bags like those used at grocery stores. In the case of Singapore, the team recommends the usage of reusable plastic (PP non-woven) bags to the greatest extent possible to reduce consumption of single-use plastic bags. LITTLE TO NO IMPACT ON OVERALL LITTER: Plastic retail bags comprise a very small portion of litter – typically less than 1% – making bans and taxes ineffective when it comes to reducing overall litter.⁸ Burning the bags releases toxic fumes into the atmosphere while landfills hold then indefinitely which has become a worldwide problem with plastics in general. TABLE OF CONTENT. Every piece of plastic that is not recycled breaks down to microplastic (<5mm in size) and persists in the environment for centuries. Environmental Impacts Plastic bags are linked to a range of environmental impacts. Harm to Wildlife. While climate change can seem to be on an unstoppable march forward, the last decade has seen some wins for environmental causes too. The effects of banning plastic bags can extend to your marketing. Single-use plastic bags (SUPBs) are one of the most consumed items globally and much debate has evolved around their environmental impact. Animals eat food wrappers, waste, and plastic bags leading to digestive problems that can cause death. Each year approximately six billion single use plastic carryout bags are consumed in the County of Los Angeles, the equivalent of 600 bags per person per year. CHAPTER FOUR. Direct impacts occur when marine life is physically harmed by marine debris through ingestion or entanglement (e.g., a turtle mistakes a plastic bag for food) or marine The Impact or Effects of Plastic Bags on the Environment 1. The production and use of plastic grocery bags have several important political impacts. The ubiquitous figures depict the horrifying situation of the earth. Plastic bag bans save municipalities money by way of less trash to pick up. People use plastic bags to carry items like food and clothes, which are bought from shops. 3. There are always alternatives to plastic bags and the search for more alternatives continues. Plastic bags pose a grave danger to the environment. The use of harmful chemicals in the production of plastic gives rise to environmental problems such as obstruction of drains, groundwater contamination etc. The use of trees to increase the production of paper products combined with the increased energy that is required to make paper bags will also have a negative environmental effect. Worldwide, 5 trillion single-use plastic is used every year, 1 million plastic water bottles are bought every minute. Single-use plastic bags are a detriment to the health of communities and the environment alike. From the significant recycling and disposal issues they pose as litter and the harm they create to wildlife, their negative impacts can be seen daily. Bans can also save retailers time and money since they no longer need to provide plastic bags. 5. Kelvin Chidi Ujeh Introduction. cotton and paper bags – also come with an environmental footprint, and do not necessarily outperform plastic bags in all environmental categories. The Impact of Plastic Bags on the Environment: A Field Survey of the City of Uyo and the Surrounding Areas. If all plastic bags were reused, you'd need to use it 26 times! Paper bags are a possible option but they also take their toll on the environment. Life Cycle Impact Assessment 54 5.1 Results for each carrier bag 54 5.1.1 LDPE bags: LDPEavg, LDPEs, LDPEh, LDPErec, W 58 5.1.2 PP bags: PP, PPwov 61 5.1.3 Recycled PET carrier bags: PETrec 62 5.1.4 Polyester bags: PETpol 65 5.1.5 Comparison of fossil plastic carrier bags 65 5.1.6 Biopolymer bags: BP 66 High consumption contribute to the impact plastic bags have in the environment. Some of the major environmental problems emerging from the use of plastic bags include litter, flooding, and resource depletion. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Environmental impacts are wide ranging and can be both direct and indirect. The environmental impact from conventional plastic bags is significantly less than the impact from bags of biodegradable plastic, paper, and cotton, study finds. To be eco-friendly have to use a reusable bag as much as possible. Negative effects of plastic bags on animals On land plastic bags are consumed by animals, just like in the ocean. Alternatives to Plastic Bags. Environmental Impacts. In the case of EIRs supporting Single-Use Carryout Bag Ordinances a specific solution to a plastic bag litter problem is proposed that requires a ban on plastic carryout bags and imposes a fee on paper bags in order to encourage (i.e. The use of reusable plastic bags has increased. In addition to the use of natural resources and waste from plastic bag production, plastic bags can increase the risk of flooding. Our ocean and the array of species that call it home are succumbing to the poison of plastic. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (2018), the impact of single-use plastic has had a devastating effect on our oceans, landfill, and our health, yet despite this, plastic use remains a significant problem. Even though many are made from a non-renewable resource (oil), the vast majority have a useful life of minutes - from the shop to the car and from the car to the kitchen. Use of these biodegradable bags never cause any harm to human bodies or any other natural resource. Plastic bag bans reduce trash and litter, and therefore reduce the negative impacts caused by trash and litter. Presentation, analysis and interpretation of data – -48 1. Plastic bags can have various negative impacts on the environment. In addition to the use of natural resources and waste from plastic bag production, plastic bags can increase the risk of flooding . Because they never break down completely, plastic bags can clog storm drains and other areas which can eventually cause severe flooding. Problematic single-use plastics9 2.1 Plastic bags and foamed plastic products 11 2.1.1Environmental impacts 12 2.1.2 Health and Social impacts 14 2.1.3 Economic impacts 15 Actions to minimize plastic bags and Styrofoam products17 3.1 Waste management system improvements182 3.2 Promotion of eco-friendly alternatives19 3.3 Social awareness Conclusions from the 2005 Scottish Report states that “[A] paper bag has a more adverse impact than a plastic bag for most of the environmental issues considered. The ingenuity of plastic bags is what drive environmentalists and governments to reduce its use, as its durability and light weight makes it easier to be scattered as litter (Tough 2007, Reusit 2013). math: more than 1.6 billion gallons of oil are used each year for plastic bags alone. Plastic bags are made from petroleum products. Plastic bags... Impact on the environment. However, their alternatives for shopping – e.g. If these are reused this is positive, however if they are bought then thrown away or stored and not reused these bags are more energy intensive to produce and the impact on the environment would therefore be negative. Introduction Marsden Jacob Associates (Marsden Jacob) has been engaged by the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) to undertake a cost benefit analysis (CBA) and distributional impact assessment of options to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags in Victoria. They are one of the most obvious displays of our throw away society. Manufacturing Impact of Plastic Bags (Emissions). Plastic bag bans and tariffs, as well as expanded polystyrene and other material and product bans, have also shown to be particularly effective in some countries and cities. The more we use plastic bags, the more we waste oil.” Many environmental activists also note that the production and decomposition of plastic bags emits dangerous greenhouse gases and pollutants at every stage of a plastic bag’s life. Nonetheless, the impact of plastic bags on global climate change can be understood through examining their life cycle or carbon footprint. Because they never break down completely, plastic bags can clog storm drains and other areas which can eventually cause severe flooding. The UK study, found that to have a lower global warming potential than plastic bags: - Paper bags should be used 3 times. Analysis!of!Economic!and! - Low-density polyethylene bags (the thicker plastic bags used in supermarkets) should be used 4 times. coerce) shoppers into using reusable bags. And if plastic bags … Recommendations. The Impact of & Alternatives for Plastic Trash Bags. Updated:!October!23,!2013! October2013!!!! As the plastic bag is non- biodegradable are two types of polyethylene High Density Polyethylene and almost non-compostable (26), it stays in the soil for an (HDPE) and Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) are the most excessively long period of time thereby causing unimaginable commonly known forms (figure 1). If we want a healthier environment to live and healthy food to eat then we should replace plastic bags with environment friendly and biodegradable bags like jute bags, paper bags and biodegradable plastic bags etc. The change in packaging materials has … 300 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year, a number equal to the weight of entire human species on this planet. The plastic bag ban is looking shaky as a way of saving the world from plastic pollution! Plastic bags are not free to consumers – they are actually adding an estimated $173 million a year to Australia’s grocery bills. You’d have to reuse a paper bag at least three times before its environmental impact equaled that of a high-density polyethylene plastic bag used only once. Paper bags tend to have higher carbon emissions than plastic bags – and are more difficult to re-use. 4.3.9 LDPE waste bin bag 53 5. Environmental!Impacts! A new study has highlighted the dangers of politically driven rhetoric when combating the use of single use plastics. Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) document the environmental impact of a specific project including alternatives. The animals can be severely affected from the plastic bags … Because Western nations have infrastructures that are able to deal well with waste and recycling, these nations generally do not feel the same effects of plastic bags on the environment… Various steps are being taken to Reducing Our Impact Finzi-Quintao, 2016). Recycling is good for the environment because it keeps materials out of landfills. Although plastic grocery bags can be recycled, the United States recycles only about 2 percent. Even if bags are placed in curbside recycling bins, they’re so light that breezes can snatch them up and turn them into litter. These solutions can have an immediate impact. It does not cover all plastic bags 2.
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