China recently launched a surprise crackdown on plastic bags on Tuesday, banning the manufacture, sale, and use of plastic bags under 0.025 mm thick and prohibits supermarkets and shops nationwide from handing out the sacks for free from June 1st.
“Our country consumes huge amounts of plastic bags every year. While providing convenience to consumers, they have also caused serious pollution, and waste of energy and resources, because of excessive use and inadequate recycling… We should encourage people to return to carrying cloth bags, using baskets for their vegetables.”
- Source: Central government website
But why are plastic bags being banned, you ask?
Perhaps less widely known is the destructive impact that plastic bags have on oceans and marine life. Tossed into waterways or washed down storm drains, the bags are the major source of human-related debris on the seabed, particularly near coastlines. At least 267 different species are known to have suffered from entanglement or ingestion of marine debris, and plastics and other synthetic materials cause the most problems for marine animals and birds.
Every year, tens of thousands of whales, birds, seals, and turtles die from contact with ocean-borne plastic bags. The animals may mistake the bags for food, such as jellyfish, or simply become entangled. Plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to break down, so even when an animal dies and decays after ingesting a bag, the plastic re-enters the environment, posing a continuing threat to wildlife. While most plastic bags eventually break down into tiny particles, smaller sea creatures may still eat the sand-sized fragments and concentrate toxic chemicals in their bodies.
Seriously, we are producing and using WAYYYY too much plastic bags, and most of the time, unnecessarily too. Think about all the plastic bags that you used rather unnecessarily — those times when you bought a loaf of bread from the grocery store and those times when you bought a couple of pens from a bookstore. So, how much plastic bags do you use?
If you have a minute or two to spare, please consider signing these petitions:
References:
- China launches surprise crackdown on plastic bags @ Reuters UK
- Banning Plastic Bags, Helping Marine Life @ WorldChanging
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I cut my use of plastic bags lately. I usually ask for no plastic bag and carry a few used ones in my bag, or even a box if I’m driving. I use brown paper bags a lot too. Trying my best… not a huge fan of plastic.
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me too.. i try not to use plastic bags as much as possible, and use my own cloth shopping bag when i go shopping for groceries. If I HAVE to use a bag, I try to put as many items into one bag as possible.
I’m trying to do my part too! Going green is fun!
many foreign country has banned plastic bag long ago and it was good. just hope our country would do the same as well
ipohchai’s latest blog post: A robbery attempt at my own house
Once you give up plastic bags, it’s easy to give up all kinds of other plastic items too. I’ve been striving to live plastic-free since June and have posted an ongoing list of alternatives to plastic and changes that I’ve made in my life. Don’t forget, plastic bags are not the only type of plastic that is harming our oceans. Here’s the list:
http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/thelist
Beth Terry’s latest blog post: Take back the Brita filter campaign?
in HK also encourages not using plastic bag .. when go shopping/marketing all are encouraged to bring a bag
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I guess it’s time to ask the Malaysian government to consider similar moves. Considering how “advanced” we consider ourselves to be, we’re not really as environmentally conscious as we can be !
Anyone wanna start a petition to the Malaysian government to ban plastic bags ?
moz’s latest blog post: Feedback - my photoblog
Yeah - bring your own bag - cut down on plastic!
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That’s a very good idea, Moz, start a petition because I’m sure we could get a lot of responses
But I can’t volunteer because I’m working on another petition at the moment (in strategy-discussing stage), heh.
But if anybody is interested in starting a petition to ban the use of plastic bags in Malaysia, I’d love to work with you
We finally got enough cloth bags that we can carry 2 weeks worth of shopping home from the grocery store without a single plastic bag! I especially like the recycled bags from 1 Bag at a Time and the canvas bags from Trader Joes because they both have a gusseted bottom so they kind of stand on their own to make them easier to load stuff into. The main trick is to load your boxiest items on the cashier’s counter or conveyor first since they pack faster & easier than odd-shaped grocery items.
Cloth bags are actually much, much easier to carry into the house too since they usually have nice, wide straps or handles.
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but how am I going to bag my rubbish now?
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One of the comments I regularly hear now when I take bags shopping with me is, “That’s really good of you. I always forget to take my own bags with me, so end up with loads of plastic bags.”
I think more people are feeling conscious of the situation, but it hasn’t yet reached the point where people grab their own reusable bags as a matter of course.
Hopefully we’re not far off, though!
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Sadly I too use plastic bags cause there is no other way to get stuff from the grocery. But I am glad to say that I reuse the same plastic bads and dispose of them in a safe and eco-friendly manner. I think every one should do the same.
Save the environment not for yourselves but for your children.
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