The next time you visit your favorite grocery shop and the counter boy asks whether you prefer “paper or plastic” for your purchases, just look at him and respond with, “none!”
Plastic carry bags end up as litter that pollutes the landscapes and kills thousands of marine animals every year. Plastic bags that go under the ground take around 1,000 years to break down, and in the process, they separate into smaller, toxic particles that contaminate our water and soil. Furthermore, the production of plastic carry bags requires millions of gallons of oil that could be used for other purposes such as fuel and heating.
Paper or plastic – what is better?
Paper carry bags, which many people consider a better alternative to plastic carry bags, possess a new set of environmental troubles. Let’s discuss one example: according to the American Forest and Paper Association, in the year 1999, the United States people have used around 10 billion paper bags, which adds up to a lot of trees, a lot of water and chemicals to process the paper.
Reusable bags – A better option
But if you decline both plastic and paper bags, then how would you carry your groceries home? The answer is reusable cloth shopping bags made of reusable materials that don’t harm the environment during production and don’t need to be discarded after each use. You can find many options in reusable bags online, or get them from most grocery stores or any department stores.
Researchers estimate that approx. 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic carry bags are consumed and discarded annually in the whole world—which is more than a million per minute.
Taxes can cut plastic carry bag use
For instance, back in 2001, Ireland was using 1.2 billion plastic bags annually. The Irish government, in the year 2002 imposed a plastic bag consumption tax, which has reduced the consumption of these bags by 90%. For every bag, the buyer is supposed to pay the tax of $.15 when they check out at the store. Besides reducing the litter, Ireland’s government tax strategy has saved around 18 million liters of oil effectively. Many other governments around the globe are now considering this similar tax on plastic bags.
So, what are your thoughts on it?
