Plastic bags are not biodegradable. They fly off trash piles, garbage trucks and landfills, and then clog storm water infrastructure, float down waterways, and spoil the landscape. Plastic bags also pose a serious danger to birds and marine mammals who often mistake them for food. Floating plastic bags regularly fool sea turtles into thinking that they are one of their favorite prey --- jellyfish. Thousands of animals die each year after swallowing or choking on discarded plastic bags. This mistaken identity issue is apparently a problem even for camels in the Middle East.
Plastic bags exposed to sunlight for long enough do undergo physical breakdown. Ultra-violet rays turn the plastic brittle, breaking it into ever smaller pieces. The small fragments then mix with soil, lake sediments, are picked up by streams, or end up contributing to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and other oceanic trash deposits.
Finally, producing plastic bags, transporting them to stores, and bringing the used ones to landfills and recycling facilities require millions of gallons of petroleum, a non-renewable resource which can arguably be better used for more beneficial activities like transportation or heating.
Some business organisations have even stopped offering their customers plastic bags. San Francisco was the first to do that in 2007.
Reusable shopping bags made from renewable materials conserve resources by replacing paper and plastic bags. Reusable bags are convenient and come in a variety of sizes, styles and materials. When not in use, some reusable bags can be rolled or folded small enough to fit easily into a pocket. Make sure you wash them regularly.
Jubel D’Cruz,
Mumbai, India
