Should plastic bags be banned from grocery stores?

I support this, because plastic bags are wasteful and often break.
Although people need a bag of some sort to help carry their groceries, plastic
bags are a poor solution. They are wasted in large quantities, every single day.
Also, they break under the slightest pressure. There are more sustainable
methods of carrying groceries, such as using paper bags or material bags.

Paper is better than plastic but...

Plastic is not biodegradeable by any means. Fees can't be placed on them

because corporations got smart and slipped into a bill that charging any sort of a
fee for single use plastics is illegal and that they can sue that city/state that puts
a fee on them. Thus, a complete ban is the only thing probable. Statistics show
plastic bags are recycled at a rate of less than 10% while more than 50% of
paper bags are recycled. However it takes more resources making paper bags
than it does pastic. Plastic is made from petroleum; a product of oil. You protest
oil independence but refuse to give up your plastic bag? Laziness factors plenty
into the banning of plastic bags. If Europeans can do It, why can't the states?
Reusable bags made from recycled products are fantastic. I've carried two one
gallon bottles with a few other Items in one bag without having an issue. They're
much sturdier than plastic bags as well as more pleasing to the eye. I've never
gotten dirty looks bringing my own bag and they fold up easy so I can even pack
them in my purse. There are reuseable bags out there that are compatible to
you. You just need to do your research. They come in all sorts of shapes, colors
and designs. Honestly, I think education is key. I moved to Monterey, CA and they
have reward systems for people who BYOB. Working on a plastic bag ban (among
other things), this county is considered one of the most Eco friendly towns in the
state. The documentary "Bag It" is great for people to better understand plastic
bags and the real reality of disposable plastics. Remember, we don't inherit the
world from our grandparents, we borrow it from our children.

they suck

Paper is better all the way around. I reuse both kinds but the plastic is too flimsy
and never rots. Those trendy "reusables" are not practical for large families who
shop biweekly. Get a clue. You use less bags with paper they hold more and have
more re-uses. Plastic just uses more "oil"--look at what that is doing for everyone.

Yes i think grocery bags should be banned for animal reasoning

yes i belive that grocery bags should be bannned because they are dumped in a
land fill for hundreds and or thousaond of years. Also animals could me hungry
and eat the plastic and die and that is animal crulelty which I personaly am not
that fond of. Also paper bag could make less polution and you can reuse them
and they can hold more and not break i also belive that they dont break as easy.
I also belive that colth bags are the best source of all because they can hold a
ton of food and never break also they can be reasued many time and you can
spend money one time to buy a cloth and get a discount which actualy save you
money insted of spending money on paper bag. More about paper bags are that
you can recycle them which goes to make more so you are actualy reusing them
so it is like the some as buying a cloth bag because you are reusing them over
and over again. And all you have to do to keep the cloth bags is put them in the
back of your car and whenever you go to the store you just take them in the
store with you and then you have them and then when you get home you can
empty them and put them back in your car to reause them. And if you are buying
cold or hot food and you want to keep the food cold or hot you can buy a cold or
hot bag and that you can even use for regular temputure food and it will still stay
that temputure and that that bag can be washed out and use it as many times
and you want and it will never break down. And the last thing i have to say is
that the U.S. could also save a ton of money if they didnt buy plastic bags from
other places. Those our my pourposes for why plastic bags should be banned in
grocery stores!

I oppose plastic bags being banned from grocery stores; they are more durable.

I believe that plastic bags in grocery stores are more durable than paper ones.
While plastic bags are not recyclable themselves, people save and re-use them
at home for things besides just taking their groceries home. Examples include
using them inside a bathroom trash can, picking up animal waste and storing
items you have nowhere else to put. Plastic bags are more efficient for their
original purpose and can be used for more purposes.

I think plastic bags should be banned from grocery stores. Paper bags, though
more expensive, are a more environmentally friendly alternative.

Plastic bags can harm the environment because they interfere with wildlife and
pollute the earth. They are not biodegradable, so they will be around for a long
time. In my opinion, paper bags make more sense because paper is much easier
to break down and serves the same job. Alternatively "green bags" offer
reusable, biodegradable bags to shoppers.

Why not; how inconvenienced would we really be if we had to use reusable bags
or paper bags?

Plastic bags could be easily replaced with paper or reusable. When I was in
Europe over 20 years ago, you paid for your bags to promote the use of reusable
bags. We are so backward here when it comes to consciously taking care of the
environment. I have seen plastic bags floating through the air in remote areas of
the southwest. All this could be prevented by using paper or recycled, reusable
bags.

Yes, plastic garbage bags should be banned from grocery stores because they
create too much trash.

I believe it would be good to ban plastic bags from grocery stores and go back to the
traditional paper bags. Plastic bags create a lot of trash and many people are just not willing
to take the time and effort to recycle them. I find that many of the plastic bags used at stores
today are so flimsy that two are needed for some heavier items, so this just creates more
waste. Paper bags are biodegradable and they have many uses around the house, and because
they are larger than plastic bags, they hold more groceries.

Plastic bags should be banned from grocery stores because they are made from
toxic and non-recyclable materials.

It is so much more environmentally friendly to bring your own bags when you buy groceries.
These reusable bags are now sold at most stores and are very cost effective. A plastic bag
harms the earth and all the living things in it. Not to mention the fact that plastic really isn't
something that breaks down naturally.

I believe banning plastic bags from grocery stores is the only way to stop them
from being used, which is necessary if we want to clean up the environment and
landfills.

Banning plastic bags from not just grocery stores but all stores will go a long way toward
helping clean up the environment and lessening the burden they make on landfills. These
bags are not as biodegradable as paper and can not be recycled as easily. They often become a
hazard to drivers when they are left along the road to fly and billow around.

Plastic grocery bag should be banned as plastic is quickly filling up our garbage
disposal sites, and is harmful to our environment.

Since plastic does not decompose like other materials, it should be banned as
grocery bags. Just our house alone, with only two people living in it, must collect
thousands of plastic bags every year. Multiply that by all of the households in the
world and it is overwhelming. Grocery stores could help the situation somewhat
by not using so many sacks when they bag your groceries. To me it seems that
they could use half as many as they do. Recycling has helped with the problem,
but I know there are thousands of people out there who never recycle no matter
what.

The majority of plastic bags are not recycled and instead sit in landfills, whereas
the alternative is better for the environment and economy.

There are so few plastic bags that are actually recycled and turned into usable products. Most
are tossed into the garbage and will sit in landfills slowly breaking down and taking up space.

The alternative of fabric bags are a reusable option that are better on the environment.
Grocery stores can reduce their costs by selling reusable bags and not spending the money on
producing plastic bags. They will also be providing a service to the environment.

Plastic bags should not be banned from grocery stores, because they are useful
products that are needed by customers.

I think that it is right for grocery stores to encourage its patrons to bring reusable bags into
the shop. Many offer discounts for using these bags. However, plastic bags are still needed
for those who do not wish to bring in their own bags. Many folks reuse and recycle these
plastic bags. They use them as small trash bags, doggy scoop bags, and they use them to wrap
smelly baby nappies in. Also, some customers simply collect them and return them to the
store to be recycled. I have even seen some nifty crafting ideas that use grocery bags to make
reusable sandwich pouches. Plastic grocery bags should not be banned, because they serve
many useful purposes.

Plastic bags should not be banned from grocery stores; it makes no sense to ban
them.

Plastic bags have been used in grocery stores for a very long time. It makes no
sense to just ban them. They are very convenient, too. Some people say it is a
waste of plastic, or bad for our environment; but plastic bags can be recycled
and then reused in the future. Also, many people, including myself, reuse the
plastic bags and hardly ever throw them out. It would make no sense to ban
plastic bags from grocery stores.

No, because putting a recycling system into place would suffice.

There is no need to ban the use of plastic bags. I think what needs to be done is
to use the same system that a lot of northern states use for aluminum cans. And
that is to impose a small tax on the product to ensure that it gets returned and
recycled. And, with plastic bags, the stores can impose a small fee, as in a tax, to
force the consumer to either return the bag and/or reuse the bag. If the
consumer brings back the bags for reuse, then they do not and should not have
to pay the fee. This is a simple way to solve the problem.

Plastic bags should not be banned from grocery stores, because there is no valid
alternative to a plastic bag yet.

Plastic bags provide a useful function at a grocery store, whether it is to carry your food all
the way home, or just from your car to your kitchen. A single person can carry several plastic
bags with their handles, but you would be hard pressed to carry more than two paper bags.
Nevermind the fact that paper bags can tear easily, especially if they are holding wet food, or
if it starts to rain. Cloth or other reusable bags are not a valid option, because store owners
look at you like a thief if you enter a store with an empty bag. Cloth bags are only valid for
casual shopping. No one is going to walk into a grocery store with a dozen reusable bags in
their pocket, or drive around with them in their trunk all the time.

No, plastic bags should not be banned because there is no product available to
replace them.

If you do not have a car a plastic bag is your best friend. You can carry a dozen or more
plastic bags if they are light enough, but you would be hard pressed to carry more than two or
three paper bags because they must be held from the bottom. A paper bag has no resistance to
rain or damp foods. If you bring in your own reusable bag the stores treat you like a shoplifter
and then you have to wash your grocery bags to prevent cross contamination. Plastic bags are
bad for the enviroment but there is no point in jumping the gun and banning them before
there is a valid alterantive.

People should make up their own minds if they want to be environmentally

friendly.

Banning plastic bags does not make people more responsible. People have to carry home
groceries, and stores that want to offer full service will always offer some kind of container to

make this easy for their customers. Also, the evidence that plastic bags are worse for the
environment that the more bulky paper ones is very thin. Consumers should make up their
own minds, and government should stay out of it.

I chose no because one cannot carry groceries in a carton or paper. Plastic bags
have the ability to withstand thrust.

I Totally agree that plastic bags are not eco friendly, harmful to the environment
and more over filled with toxins. But they can be recycled like papers, can also
be cost effective for example think what will happen to all the trees if we started
using papers etc instead of plastics earth would run out of trees

Plastic bags do not need to be banned from grocery stores.

Plastic bags are useful to have around--they are not a single-use item. If you save them, you
can reuse them to carry large batches of items or bring them along if you work the tables at
farmer's markets or conventions that offer dealer's tables (such as card shows or comic book
cons). They can be double-bagged and they make it easier for you to pack away a great
amount of product for your customers!

Plastic bags are a convenient, reusable, and inexpensive way to tote groceries.

Plastic grocery bags are convenient, reusable and inexpensive. With built in
handles, they are an easy way to tote groceries. Most bags are reused as trash
can liners, lunch bags, and for toting many other things. A majority of grocery
stores provide recycling drums in the front of their stores for customers to
recycle bags. Rather than making plastic bags illegal, a better option that some
grocery stores like Kroger use is to provide a $.04 deduction from a customer's
grocery bill for each reusable bag they bring to the store.

Plastic bags may be bad to make for the atmosphere, but they come in handy
for grocery bags.

Plastic bags are good to use as they are accessible and very easy to have
around. They come in handy when you run low on paper bags and can
sometimes be used as trash bags as well. They are very convenient and not too
much money is used to produce them

Plastic bags should not be banned from grocery stores.

Plastic bags should not be banned from grocery stores because there are many options to
deter their use and to make them more eco-friendly. Plastic bags in grocery store should be
made from recycled plastic to make them more eco-friendly. There should also be charge for
plastic bags, or credit from bringing your own bag, at all stores to promote the re-use of
plastic bags or the use on non-plastic bags. There are many things that can be done without
getting the government/ laws involved in this.

Plastic bags are an inferior tool that can be removed through social change, but
not through legislation.

The law is a great way to teach people what we already believe but it does not
have the power to change people's belief systems though inconvenience or
other. What was used before plastic were paper bags, which are easily stated as
worse for the environment than plastic bags are. The garbage is ugly, true, but
what we would get in its place would be worse than what we are legislating
against.

Plastic bags should not be banned because they are not only a convenience, but
sometimes a necessity.

The alternate to plastic bags would be either paper bags, canvas tote bags, or
boxes. While all three are good alternatives for the average person, there are
others who depend on the plastic bags to transport their purchases. It makes it

much easier for the elderly, or for those with certain medical issues to grip the
flexible handle of a plastic bag. I do think that stores should offer the other
choices though, and let the consumer decide which is best for them, whether it is
for environmental reasons, safety reasons, etc.
Should plastic bags be banned?
Yes, because...
environmental damage
Plastic bags for use by consumers in
supermarkets and other stores
should be made illegal. In the UK
alone, over 13 billion plastic bags are
handed to consumers each year,
representing a substantial proportion
of all floating marine litter[1]. More
than this, plastic bags are
responsible for the deaths of huge
numbers of marine species, who
mistake the bags for food.
Consumers must accept that it is
hugely wasteful, massively unethical,
and potentially deadly to continue
using plastic bags. Supermarkets
must be told by the government that
Yes, because...Repairing the Damage
Charging consumers for using
plastic bags should not result in
profit for the supermarkets. Instead,
any supermarkets who refuse to
totally ban plastic bags, and charge
their customers for using the bags
(eg. 10p for bag), should be made to
pay a fine to local governments. This
revenue should then be used to
repeal some of the damage
supermarkets reap on the local
economy, environment, and society.
No, because...
If shops and supermarkets are to be
encouraged to ban plastic bags then

continued supply of plastic bags will

result in large fines, whilst those
supermarkets who remove all their
bags can be rewarded.
No, because...
Of all the sins of supermarkets, it is
hilarious that plastic bags are the
main cause of people's concern.
From sweat shops, to over
production; things which have much
more disasterous consequences on
the environment and people than
misely plastic bags. The reality is,
the environment argument is a
smokescreen for people to moan
about litter. A more diligent approach
to parenting and teaching would
solve this problem more effectively.
they may well need economic
encouragement to do so. This may
well be simply from not having to
pay for buying the bags in the first
place. Having the money paid for
plastic bags going to anyone other
than the supermarket that sells them
would be complex and involve waste
through bureauracy. Plastic bags are

the best thing both for the

enviornment and for cost.Paper is the
absolute worst thing for landfills:
studies have shown that after 20
years paper is still clogging landfills!
And paper that is burned adds huge

amounts of CO2 into the

atmosphere. Reusable cloth bags
sound like a great idea but unless
you are a granny carrying one bag
home, they are absurd do you
honestly tell me that you plan to
bring 10 or more canvas bags
everytime you go out to shop? even
so base on the people using the
canvas bag would also end up in the
landfill which makes it even worse
than plastic bags because it is way
thicker and consumes even more
space than a cheap plastic bags.
Plastic bags are light, cheap, and
biodegradable. And in a well
Yes, because...The Great Waste

engineered landfill plastic bags

actually generate useable energy by
decomposing quickly into
recoverable methane. Some landfills
(eg, Rochester, Mn) actually are able
to put useable power back into the
electrical grid from the methane they
reclaim. The plastic is also
recycleable, where plastic recycling
is available. Everywhere.It is
enviornmentally irresponsible to use
anything but the plastic bags.Putting
a blame on an object won't solve
environmental problems, the blame
should be on the people.

yes but if we are to get rid of

plastic bags we would not have a

Plastic bag production uses

almost 10 percent of the world's
annual oil supply. Only 3.5
percent of this number are
recycled. This means that much
of the planet's precious natural
resources are being used to
produce plastic bags that many of
us maintain are unneccessary.
The chemicals and compounds
that go into making plastic bags
could also be utilised in a far
more effective manner. These two
factors show that plastic bag
production is a waste of
resources, which could be being
used in a far more effective way.

job be able to travel or even see

this write now because your
computer has a lot of plastic in it
and if you do find a substitute for
plastic then what would it be and
how do you know that its not
more harmful than plastic if you
choose something like paper or
cardboard it could be a fire hazard
to the products useing it such as
planes or computers and most of
the machines to make paper like
it is or metal like it is contain
plastic in them and there are
many chemicals that go into
paper to make it white also a lot
of paints and paint has a lot of
chemicals in them as well as

No, because...

plastic. Also we would probably

not survive as a CIVILIZED human

being without them any protien

not be a vegetarian because

we could get we would have to

there would be no other way to

eat directly becasue plastic

get protien I strongly think that

packageing is the only way to

plastic should not be banned.

keep it fresh and you also would

Yes, because...Non-biodegradable

No, because...

An estimated 17 billion plastic

Ireland has seen a 400% increase

bags are given to British

in black bin liners since the tax

consumers. We do not need this

was levied against plastic bags.

many plastic bags in the world.

These black bin liners are

The pollution caused by their

designed to hold more in them

creation alone is enough to

than the plastic carrier bags and

warrant a ban on their

therefore they are thicker. They

manufacture and their use. In

use far more oil in their

addition, they do not degrade well

production and due to their

in our rubbish dumps, so they will

thickness they take even longer

remain on this planet forever

to degrade. How can the ban,

more. We cannot have this

therefore, be seen as having a

accumulation of plastic bags and

positive effect on the

the only way forward is to ban

environment?

their distribution and use.

Yes, because...They litter our streets

plastic bags. Animals can caught

in them, motor accidents are

Not only do plastic bags fill up our

landfill sites where they will
remain forever more, but people
throw them into the streets. They
accept plastic bags when they do
not need to and once out of the
shops take their items and litter
the streets with the unwanted

caused, and many end up in

trees. As a society, this shows
that we do not need plastic bags
if we are willing to just throw
them away. Plastic bags should be
banned and replaced with bags
that we would not so readily
disregard.

No, because...

Instead we need to recognise our

dispoable society and start

This is an argument against a

society's attitude towards
consumption. But the war against
plastic bags is not worth the
relatively little gain, the problem
will remain long after a ban on
plastic bags is placed on people.
Yes, because...Plastic bags suffocate
and kill

looking at the bigger picture.

Instead of picking on the small
features of the problem, we need
to get to the roots. And here, the
roots is not the plastic bag, but
our attitude towards
consumption.

population will be atleast five

times of what it is. Essentially
people do not seem to be

Plastic bags can and have killed/

(have been used to kill) many an
animal (including human beings)
and they only have one singular
use(carry things) for which, they
can easily be substituted (with
other bags) for.[1] A baby was
deliberately suffocated with
plastic bags in this particular
case:[2]
No, because...
Well if Animals have to die, just
force them to mate as much as
you can until they are over
populated, then if some are killed
it will be ok, and the same thing
for children. If each couple has
atleast 10 children, then out

bothered about ruining animals

lives, or often even those of other
human beings through other
forms of pollution so why be
bothered about plastic bags in
particular?
Yes plastic bags can cause
damage but why are people
throwing plastic bags in forested
areas and other wildlife habitats.
The civic agencies should be
making sure that plastic bags do
not get to such places, those they
gater from streets should be
recycled or reused which is
possible meaning we really need
an improvement in infrastructure
to solve the problem.

Yes, because...Wildlife concerns

No, because...

Plastic bags often end up floating

even if we are to ban plastic bags

in the seas- the home to many

the litter that gets into the ocean

mammals, fish and invertebrates.

won't stop the animals will just

One species that is at great risk

get trapped in the other items

from plastic bags is the already

that we replace plastic bags with

endangered Leatherback turtle

such as cloth it could rap around

(amongst others including the

them and smuther them almost

Green turtle, see the article

30% faster than any plastic bag

below). Turtles often mistake

couldand any heavier items could

floating plastic bags for jellyfish-

sink to the bottom and kill ofthem

their only food source. The

plant life the animals thrive on

tragedy is that once they eat the

plus most turtles will realize the

plastic bags, they can get caught

difference between the plastic

up and wrapped round the gut or

bags and jellyfish as soon as they

in the throat, causing suffocation

startchewing on it and most of

and starvation.

the time when they are close to it.

Hunter schofield

Yes, because...Spread Awareness

think "Wow, we didn't realise this

was such a big issue! And look, 5

By banning plastic bags, not only

will we reudce all the
environmental issues such as
animals, litter and landfill, we will
also spread awareness globally
and even potentially nationally.
For example, say Australia bans
plastic bags, in a couple of years
time, all these issues would be on
their way to being resolved and
America's government might

years ago Australias landfill was

overflowing with plastic bags that
do not break down and now the
small perentage of cloth bags that
do go in landfill (not many go in
because cloth bags are so
reusable) are gone very quickly
because they break down into
what is not unhealthy for the
environment! Maybe we should
ban plastic bags too so we can

recieve such a great effect!" And

banning plastic bags. I think that

the England may copy, the France

our world faces bigger problems

and Japan and China and Brazil

then plastic bags in landfills.

etc etc. Do you see what I mean.

There are so many other things

People realise it is a big enough

polluting our earth. We face

issue to make a law and see this

problems with over population,

great effect and actually CARE!

starvation and over use of

electricity. Are we going to ban

No, because...

the use of electricty? How about a

certain amount of food per

By banning plastic bags you are

person? All I'm trying to say is

not getting rid of all the

that we should try to focus on the

enviromental issues. There is still

bigger problems in the world.

smog and pollution from exhausts

Maybe then we can talk about

and factories. You can't wipe out

proper recycling and ways to

all enviromental issues by

clean up our landfills. 'Til then,

Englishgirl.

Yes, because...Environment
destroyement

them, also can cause many lungs

diseases like asthama. daily more
than 5 crores poly bags are

Yes, plastics use must be

banned .Throwing poly bags
plastics could make the soil
unfertile (soil pollution). this is
very bad. we need fertile soil
caue it helps plants to grow,

thrown. so, we can do a little work

to avoid plastic like we can use
paper bags instead of poly bags.
try a lot to avoid plastic.
No, because...

which is our food. Animals also

need soil cause it make plants to

we then we should just not throw

grow and animals eat plants.we

poly bags around, i have never

can say they indirectly depend on

seen anyone throw them, and

soil. burning plstics cause very

there are many people who help

polluted gases which could make

clean them up if there are any

our lungs weak on breathing

lying around. not many people

burn plastics these days, infact in

some countries it is banned.
Yes, because...Paper

that understands the need to use

trees as resources and does its

Paper can be reused. If all you do

is put cans in it, its not dirty. They
can be reused. I have many bags
that i reuse. They are very useful.
All you do is grab some before
leaving and you're set.

best to keep trees alive in the

world so that they can always
exist. Remember, without trees,
paper companies would be
without a job. why would they
want that? They are not mindless
idiots.

>>> Within the united states the

are more trees grown than cut

No, because...

down every year. Americans plant

roughly 1.5 billion trees. Our

Paper make the tree population

Paper companies are committed

deminish very quickly. Normal

to the Sustainable Forestry

paper does enough anyways.

Initiative which is an organization

Yes, because...

than adding tax. If we ban it,they

can't buy any plastic bags n they

taxes may well reduce the

will buy recycle bags.

number of plastic bags that are

handed out and used by
consumers however a reduction
even by 90% would still leave
more than a billion bags a year
used in Britain, this still seems
like an aweful lot plastic bags
added to those that are already in
the oceans and spread across the
land. Some rich ones didn't even
care of the tax,so ban it is better

No, because...No need to ban, add a

tax
Place a restraint where people will
feel it most, their pocket. By
placing a tax on plastic bags you
are not limiting peoples choice
but you will ct down on plastic
bag use. This can be seen in
Ireland where a 15p tax has
caused a reduction of 90% on the
plastic carrier bag use[1]. The

revenue gained would also be

caused by the use of plastic bags.

valuable to the government who

This is a much more effective way

could put it towards

of dealing with the problem.

environmental issues already

Yes, because...

No, because...Used as a marketing

ploy

Most people already have bags,

whether they be 'a bag for life',

Anya Hindmarch launched a bag

old style shopping trolly bags,

to combat plastic bags. But this

rucksacks etc. There would be

was merely a business woman

little need for consumers to buy

making a profit out of the

new bags any more regularly than

negative press attention to plastic

they do now and certainly no

bags. The bags she made were in

need to buy new bags to replace

fact made in China using cheap

the plastic bags now used. These

labour.[1] If plastic bags were

bags are mostly used because

banned, shopping bags would be

they are free and more

just another way for scrupulous

convenient than consumers

entrepreneurs to make money out

carrying their own bags to the

of people believing that not using

shops as well as back again.

plastic bags is helping the world.

In fact, sweat shops would be
used to create maximum profits.

Yes, because...

implications upon everyone else.

It would not be fair for some to

Why should we not be free to

make nuclear bombs? Why should
we not be free to kill another
human being if they annoy us?

strive to keep the environment

clean whilst those with money
show a blatant disregard just
because they can afford to.

Why? Because some things in life

are more important than 'choice'.
Why? Because we live in a society
where our actions have

No, because...Freedom of choice

Why should we not be free to

still be some people who are

chose to take a plastic bag? As

willing to pay the cost for the

with everything else there must

convenience of just being able to

be a market price for plastic bags

pick one up with the shopping, or

that includes the cost of making

if a shopper has forgotten to bring

them and the cost to the

their own bags with them they

environment in the monetary cost

should be able to buy plastic bags

(therefore providing revenue to

at the shop. There is no need for

clear up the leftover plastic bags),

an outright ban on plastic bags.

at this particular price there will

Yes, because...
It is a lamentable and rather
devastating reflection on the current
state of human apathy that
somebody should argue that helping
to reduce the negative impact of
human beings on the environment is
an "unwarranted inconvenience".
Indeed, it is an inconvenience that
we should have to replace fossil
feuls, or drive hybrid cars, or improve
home insulation. If things were easy
or convenient, you can bet that
consumers have already adopted
that process. Don't worry though, if
we keep going the way we are none
of us will be around to apologise for
our collective naivity and arrogance.
No, because...people forget their reuseable bags

remember to bring them

shopping each time they go? If
they do not, what happens is that
they have to buy more re-useable
bags which means that more
plastic is being used. Yes, the idea
is that they are not disposable
and so do not fill our dumpster,
but the reality is, after a few
times of forgetting to bring your
reuseable bags, you will have
accumulated many of them.
Eventually, you people will throw
them away, just like they did with
plastic bags. A ban on plastic
bags seems like an unwarranted

Re-useable bags may sound ideal.

inconvenience when you look at

However, do people actually

the long term consequences.

Yes, because...

bag already, with longevity, so

that can be used be and reused

If you have/had a cloth bag or a

relatively sturdy durable plastic

over and over(without getting

torn or damaged or inefficiently
disposed like a standard plastic

bag) .Then you will not have to

Instead of letting people pay for

buy 'carrier bags' every time you

what they buy, the banning of

went to the market. If plastic bags

plastic bags in reality will lead to

are banned, people will buy nice

people having to pay to carry

big bags that are much more

their purchases out of the store.

useful. Since this would only be a

Plastic bags are cheap to produce

one-time purchase the costs in

so supermarkets are willing to

the long-run will be significantly

give them out for free. To ban

lower for shoppers and

them would mean that

supermarkets alike(in monetary

supermarkets would charge for

as well environmental terms.)

the more costly forms of carrier

bags. This is putting an additional

No, because...Causes expense to

financial strain on families who do

consumers in a time of

large grocery shopping trips. In a

recession

time of a recession, surely the

policy of banning plastic bags
should be left aside.

Yes, because...

few workers is more important

than preventing environmental

I sometimes forget that the

protection of plastic bag

damage is a ludacrous sentiment

that deserves significant criticism.

manufacturers is more important

than attempting to clean the

No, because...causes loss of jobs

planet we live on. I forget that, so

long as the workers in the plastic

The production of plastic bags is a

bag industry are OK, we will not

big industry. There are factories

suffer any environmental

which produce the bags and

damage. Economic conditions

distribute them. Let us not forget

should not impact upon the

that these factories may cause

manner in which we address a

poolution, but they also have a

problem that is contributing to the

vast amount of staff policing the

destruction of our planet. To

production. In the time of a

believe that the livelihoods of a

recession we should not be

looking to thwart thriving

and age and the ban of plastic

industries but save them. Factory

bag distribution would only make

workers are finding it increasingly

their plight for employment even

difficult to get work in this day

tougher.

Yes, because...

To argue that plastic bags once

BANNED will be replaced by more

You might as well argue that a

very small percentage of the
human population has A.I.D.S or
S.A.R.S or Cancer. Should we stop
fighting disease, since most

plastic bags. Is almost as

redundant and (oxymoron-ic) as
my posting the same rebuttal
against this AND the next NO
point.

people at any particular point in

time, are healthy? If we let the
sale and purchase and inefficient

Plastic bags are being labelled as

disposal of plastic bags(including

part of our disposable culture.

large black garbage bags)

However, the reality is, people do

continue then more will be

re-use their plastic bags of their

produced to be sold and

own accord. Many people will use

inefficiently disposed in the

them on their future shopping

future.If we stop production and

trips, or hand them into recycling

sales, here and now, then one

centres, and many people use

more environmental

them as bin liners. Ireland has

hazard(existing and in the

seen a 400% increase in the

making) will be checked off the

purchasing of black bin liners

list. As we all know, demand

since their plastic bag tax was

causes sales and production. Stop

introduced in 2002[1]. This means

buying and/or using plastic bags

that the free white plastic bags

and production & sales will

are merely being replaced by

eventually cease.

larger blag plastic bags which

have to be paid for. The banning

No, because...People can and do

recycle plastic bags

of plastic bags is not all as

proponants would have you
beleive.

Yes, because...

No, because...the environmental war

needs to be won elsewhere

You might as well argue that a

very small percentage of the

Plastic bags are being vilified for

human population has A.I.D.S or

harming the environment when

S.A.R.S or Cancer. Should we stop

the reality is that they make only

fighting disease, since most

a small percentage difference. In

people at any particular point in

the US plastic bags account for

time, are healthy? If we let the

less than half a percent of

sale and purchase and inefficient

domestic refuse[1]. The only

disposal of plastic bags(including

reason why they are being

large black garbage bags)

unfairly scrutinised is because

continue then more will be

they are white and so stand out

produced to be sold and

like a sore thumb when dropped

inefficiently disposed in the

as litter. Instead of banning

future.If we stop production and

plastic bags and claiming to be an

sales, here and now, then one

'environmentalist' people should

more environmental

target the larger issue; over

hazard(existing and in the

consumption. If the people of the

making) will be checked off the

world stopped stuffing their

list. As we all know, demand

trolleys to stuff their faces, not as

causes sales and production. Stop

many plastic bags would be

buying and/or using plastic bags

needed and our domestic waste

and production & sales will

would be reduced dramatically.

eventually cease.
Yes, because...

of plastic bags. The workforce

from plastic bag factories can

No loss of technology would

occur. Maybe it would even
improve technology. People would
make newer, more sophisticated
bags. The United States would no
longer have trouble with pollution

help make greener, smarter and

more eco-friendly materials.
OLV DEBATE
No, because...Loss of Technology

if you are to ban plastic bags

can see through the plastic when

humans as a race will lose a lot of

they are making the wallsso they

technology because plastic bags

know they did not block anything

are used for more than just

important banning plastic bags

supermarkets plastic bags are

would cause most people with

actually used to build and support

brocken walls have to pay a lot

structures when architects are

more to get them fixed as well as

making them without plastic bags

the price for house will raise

it would be very hard for us to

plastic bags should not be

make houses they are used to

banned.

package up areas on walls so they

Hunter Schofield
Yes, because...
one of the world biggest and
So what did we carry our

stupidest ideas of mankind! how

shopping in before plastic bags?

the hell do we carry our shopping

Reusable bags! Most people have

home if we catch the bus? take

rucksacks, shoulder bags etc that

the trolley home and then never

could be used for shopping. It is

return the trolley! BRILLIANT!

just laziness that means that they

SEROUSLY though plastic carrier

take the plastic bags offered by

bags should be the least of our

supermarkets. All you have to do

worries and anyway they do are

is carry 1-4 with you at all times.

not affecting our environment big

way

No, because...so what do we carry

our shopping in?

Yes, because...

milk, 2 boxes of cereal, and 10

cartons of cream cheese!

Just carry your groceries its not

like you are getting 3 gallons of

No, because...what if u bought them

What if you live far away from the

and u livd far away and you

nearest suppermarket and and

frove to the shopping centre

you frogot your green bags that is

and you 4 got youor plastic

also creating polution and is very

bags

anoying!

Yes, because...

No, because...other packaging

If 'The over-packaging of

The over-packaging of

merchandise creates far more

merchandise creates far more

clutter than plastic bags', then

clutter than plastic bags. Where

wouldn't having no plastic bags to

does all that 'garbage' go ? It

add to that clutter make it a

goes into the landfill sites.

whole lot less clutter?

Yes, because...

products. We are talking about

plastic bags. Not any plastic.

most of the products made with

plastic are not exactly the "really

No, because...products making

essential "commodities and

moreover they didnt exist during

we need plastic. we use plastics

our ancestors time , they never

for making container, toys, a c,

had any "difficulties of present

and may more needful things.

time" technological development

plastic must be banned only in

upto an extent is okay ,but further

poly bags or on throwing plastics

of it leads only to sorrow and

we must hav to pay fine. but dont

devastation. It will not affect the

use very much. actually, plastic is

very useful substance. it hav
many advantage.

Yes, because...

Is infrastructure really the

problem? It is because we think
that it is someone else's problem

that we misuse the plastic bags.

plastic bag snaps?" Paper bags

Most people don't even care

are just as good as plastic ones,

about that the misuse so why

and so do many people around

bother to teach them when we

the world agree. I bet there was

can save the environment, and

even a country where they had

just get rid of them completely!

never heard about plastic bags,

Which should come first; the

because they thought paper was

Earth's environment, or puny little

just such a fantastic invention. So;

plastic bags? Unfortunately most

the Earth's environment, or puny

plastic bags are not

little plastic bags?

biodegradable, so yes, plastic

bags do harm the environment. If

No, because...PLASTIC BAGS DONT

you are asking people to USE the

HARM THE ENVIRONMENT

plastic bags, wouldn't that mean

more people throwing them on

we all have to USE the plastic

the streets? Paper bags can

bags instead of MISUSING it. all of

equally well do the job, they hold

us throw the used plastic bags on

stuff just as well as plastic bags

roads and other places.

do.

Infrastructure needs improvement

to recycle plastic bags. plastic

Of course both types of bags have

disadvantages. So while it can be
asked, "what if the paper gets
soggy and breaks? What do we do
then?' Well, I would respond with
'Well, what if the weight is too
heavy and the handles of the

Yes, because...

bags can be totally recycled. if we

are not using plastic bags then
we'll rely on other resources
which are paper bags, reality
check : production paper bags
cannot fulfill the requirement of
today's world.
No, because...NO,need to ban just
reduce the use of plastic

Its plastic bags that are bad. not

any plastic.

I don't think it using plastic should

be banned, but we should reduce
the use. Plastic is necessary and

has it's uses, but we could reduce

brown paper. Our aim should be

and replace plastic shopping

to seek alternative measures.

bags, for example, with cloth or

Yes, because...

Reusable cloth bags sound like a

great idea but unless you are a

The intention would be for people

to use reusable bags as much as
possible rather than paper bags
so as to avoid any problems with
landfill.

granny carrying one bag home,

they are absurd do you honestly
tell me that you plan to bring 10
or more canvas bags everytime
you go out to shop? even so base
on the people using the canvas

If you are intending to use 10

bag would also end up in the

bags why bother with bags at all,

landfill which makes it even worse

you are obviously driving. Be

than plastic bags because it is

radical just use the trolley without

way thicker and consumes even

bags and put everything into the

more space than a cheap plastic

boot of the car without any bags!

bags.

No, because...Plastic bags is the

best both in environment and
economy

Plastic bags are light, cheap, and

biodegradable. And in a well
engineered landfill plastic bags
actually generate useable energy

Plastic bags are the best thing

both for the enviornment and for
cost.
Paper is the absolute worst thing
for landfills: studies have shown
that after 20 years paper is still
clogging landfills! And paper that
is burned adds huge amounts of
CO2 into the atmosphere.

by decomposing quickly into

recoverable methane. Some
landfills (eg, Rochester, Mn)
actually are able to put useable
power back into the electrical grid
from the methane they reclaim.
The plastic is also recycleable,
where plastic recycling is
available. Everywhere It is
enviornmentally irresponsible to
use anything but the plastic bags.

Can you improve this point? Click

here to strengthen it.

Yes, because...

No, because...Able To Be Used Over

Again,

Causes Pollution In The Making Of

Plastic Can Reduce the

Plastic Bags Can Be Recycled by

atmosphere and causes global

Reuseing them! Plastic Bags Can

warming!

Be Used over And Over Again.

Also Plastic Containers Can Be
Reused To Put Food Into. Perfect
for School Grounds!

No, because...No, recycling costs

more

food waste lorry's. Oh dear what a

waste.

All these expensive lorry's

shooting all over the uk are

No, because...No they are usefull.

creating more damage than

plastic bags.Recycling lorry's that

People line their waste bins with

is. Where I live a crew of two

them and fill them with rubbish

travel approx 80 mile per day

before putting them in the bin or

round country lanes and only

sack. Without them people would

collect approx eleven lots of

have to buy bin liners. Oh dear

recycle waste in a very expensive

what a waste.

and thirsty lorry, the end result

being sorted and transported to
different parts of the uk, again in

No, because...its not bout the plastic

but how we use it....

thirsty expensive lorry's. It

defeats the objective. And of
coarse they are following the very
expensive rubbish lorry;s and the

its not bout the plastic but how

we use it.....

Reasons We Should Not Use Plastic Bags

Harmful to Sea and Wildlife

One major reason not to use plastic bags is because plastic adversely impacts both land and
sea wildlife. Many animals, especially birds, are strangled and killed by plastic bags. Some
animals even eat the plastic bags which can lead to health problems and even death. The bags
end up cluttering beaches and lakes, destroying the beauty of the landscape.
Depletes Natural Resources

Plastic bags are made from polyethylene which is derived from natural gas and crude oil.
These resources are vital for other needs and plastic bags are not the most important need.
Once these resources are used up, they are gone so they are considered non-renewable natural
resources. A lot of resources go into the production of one plastic bag that may only be used
one time.
Landfills

Plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to degrade back into the soil. This causes a huge
amount of litter to clutter up landfills and even high way roads across America. The landfills
are already filled with garbage, diapers and who knows whatever else. Plastic bags just add to
the mess.
Hazards

Plastic bags can be hazards to infants and small children because of accidental suffocation.
Small children often get into things they shouldn't touch, and many households are drawers
filled with plastic bags from grocery shopping. Keeping the plastic bags out of the home is
the only way to reduce this risk. Paper is a safer alternative and paper bags break down much
faster than plastic.
Production of Plastic Bags

Plastic bags are made from oil by-products. Nuclear electricity is used to make plastic bags.
The power for the process comes from coal power plants, and machines produce these bags
quickly.
Production of Paper Bags

Paper bags are made from trees. To make paper bags, a large amount of water, electricity,
fossil fuel, chemicals and man power is needed. It is a lengthy process to make paper bags.

1.
Plastic Disposal
o

Plastic can be recycled, go to the landfill or be burned as trash. Recycling of

plastic bags is good for the environment because it can easily be melted down.
Paper Disposal

Paper bags can be recycled or taken to the landfill. The recycling is long, and the
bag is changed back into pulp by using many chemicals.

Conclusion
o

Production and recycling of paper bags takes longer, requires more energy and
contributes to water pollution. Plastic bags, however, use low amounts of energy
and are easily produced and recycled. Plastic is a better choice.
Plastic Bags and Misinformation
I just read the best article I have seen on why banning plastic bags is not the
answer. I have gotten many requests for reusable bags from clients over the
years - and I still do not provide them. While I do use reusable bags for my
groceries, I do not believe they are the answer for the drycleaning industry. In a
nut shell, the "reusable garment bags" are made of pressed fibers, not woven so they don't last. They will not survive multiple washings and the idea of
putting clean clothes back in the dirty bags does not make sense. When these
bags wear out - or are discarded - they end up in land fills and they take more
energy to create than the plastic. These bags cannot be used for any other
purpose than laundry (unlike grocery bags).
People who know me are surprised by my position on plastic because of my
feeling about conservation and the environment. My biggest challenge with
drycleaning when I returned to the industry was the plastic! . . . . I found a
solution, for me and my clients. We collect the plastic and sell it to a US
manufacturer of decking material. I would name the company here, but they
asked me not to. They have been recycling plastic for 20 years, and produce an
upscale product they feel would be denigrated if people knew it was created with
recycled plastic.
The article I read was published in American Drycleaner Magazine and it was
written by Bruce Luetzow, Partner, Luetzow Industries.
I have been unable to find an online version, and hope that they forgive my
reproducing it here, in its entirety. I hope to get some feedback on the article thanks.

A reusable garment bag ad states, "The simple step of switching (to

product X) will help to reduce the estimated 300 million pounds of single-use
plastic dry cleaning bags a year that continue to clog our landfills and kill our
marine and wildlife" Not True.

David Laist, a senior policy analyst with the federal Marine Mammal
Commission, has stated: "In their eagerness to make their case (against plastic
bags), some of the environmental groups make up claims that are not really
supportable."

Some people believe that plastic bags "clog up" landfills. Not true.
According to the California Integrated Waste Management Board, plastic bags

(including retail, grocery store, and garment bags) use up only 0.3% of landfill
space. Plastic garment bags make up a small percent of this figure.

Due to misinformation relentlessly spread by the media, many people

believe that plastic bags kill many sea mammals and seabirds each year. The
San Jose Mercury News stated in an editorial, "Plastic bags kiss an estimated 1
million seabirds and 100,000 other animals every year, whether from eating the
things or getting tangled in them." Not true. The London Times exposed this
myth. The report on which the myth is based mentioned discarded fishing tackle
that included fishing nets, not plastic bags. David Santillo, a marine biologist at
Greenpeace, told the Times, "It's very unlikely that many animals are killed by
plastic bags."

Due to misinformation, some people believe plastic bags are not

recyclable. Not true. Special plastic bag recycling bins have been installed in
large supermarkets, retail stores and drycleaners throughout the country, or
bags can be taken to local recycling centers or returned to the manufacturer.
Virtually all of the plastic bags deposited in those bins are recycled and made
into new plastic, plastic bags, or composite lumber.

Due to misinformation, some people believe that paper bags are better for
the environment than plastic bags. Not true. Paper bags result in between 2.03.3 times more greenhouse gasses than plastic bags.

Some people believe that items labeled or stated to be "green" are green.
Questionable.

An editorial in the London Times stated, "There is a danger that the green
herd, in pursuit of a good cause, stumbles into misguided campaigns. . . . . Many
of those who have demonized plastic bags have enlisted scientific study to their
cause. By exaggerating a grain of Truth into a larger falsehood, they spread
misinformation and abuse the trust of their unwitting audiences."

Reusable garment bags ads state that they "protect the clothes better, are
safer, are so much better for the environment, save drycleaners thousands, are
waterproof, are water-resistant, breathable, better, much safer, cheaper." Well,
let's see.

Mr Dry Cleaner, with your cleaning processes and skills, you renew the life
and put freshness into your customer's cleaned garments. Finished packaging
into a polyethylene garment bag showcases your professional work and markets
the finished product. It becomes a walking advertisement of your skills that
others can expect if they bring their garments to you for cleaning. Everyone can
see the professionally cleaned finished product hanging from your slick rack.
The garments and bags sparkle as they hang, the garments are clean,
identification is easy, the customer is happy, and the garments are now clearly
protected. A clear advantage of disposable poly garment bags is the guarantee
of a clean, clear bag every time.

Most reusable garment bags are made of solid, opaque cotton, nylon or
non-woven polyprpylene material, making it impossible to see the cleaned
garments within. The marketing of your cleaning skills stays hidden.
Identification of the enclosed garments is not an easy task, unless one likes
constantly opening and closing the reusable bag.

Taking dirty clothes to the drycleaner in the reusable garment bag (now a
dirty hamper bag) makes it necessary for the cleaner to not only clean the
clothes but also the reusable bag. Some reusable bags that are not effectively
cleaned can have a negative effect on human health and the environment due to
bacterial growth. Many bags require hand washing if one really wishes them to
be clean, which is time-consuming for the drycleaner or the bag owner.

Most reusable bags are manufactured and imported from China, and many
have been found to contain lead, mercury and other heavy metals. U.S. Sen.
Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has called for a federal investigation into toxic
materials in reusable shopping bags. Questions have also been raised as to
whether or not the lead could be spread in landfills when the bags are discarded.

Reusable garment bags that wear out quickly also take up space in
landfills. Most are not biodegradable or compostable. All the different materials
used in their construction (zippers, drawstring closures, see through front
pockets, etc.) make trying to recycle some of them an expensive nightmare at
best, and may not be economically possible at all.

Early last year, the United Kingdom government Environment Agency

published a life-cycle assessment of plastic, paper and reusable bags. "The
study confirms that reusable bags are not inherently better for the environment
than plastic bags. Reusable bags have to be used a tremendous number of
times to provide an environmental benefit to conventional plastic carryout bags.
The reality is that huge numbers of reusable bags are being thrown away before
they are used the requisite amount of times."

As the late President Ronald Reagan stated, "Trust, but verify." How true
this is, especially with products that are labeled or stated to be green -- Bruce
Luetzow www.americandrycleaner.com

Voters agree: plastic bag bans are the wrong choice for Hailey

Hailey residents and voters agreeplastic bag bans are bad for the
economy, bad for the environment and bad for consumers. A potential bag
ban was voted down in the general election in Hailey, ID on November 8th.

The Idaho Mountain Express editorial board told Hailey residents to vote
no on the legislation:

"...the move to ban plastic grocery bags will have consequences that will
defeat its purpose. Paper bags have a greater negative impact on the
environment and cost retailers more even though they degrade in a far
shorter time. The additional cost will show up in higher prices for food and
goods."

There's another way to reduce plastic bag litter that will help create more
jobs, not hurt existing onesand that's by supporting comprehensive
recycling plans and the growing plastic bag recycling industry. Sign our
petition today to oppose bag bans and support recycling as the real
answer to plastic waste.

I believe that a bag ban is the wrong choice for Hailey. Instead, I support
the real solution to our plastic waste: recycling.

Comprehensive recycling solutions let us recycle all their plastic bags and
wraps, not just the ones from grocery stores.

In addition, the plastic bag manufacturing and recycling industry supports

more than 125 jobs right here in Idahoand a bag ban would put those
jobs at risk. In these economic times, we should be working to create new
jobs, not jeopardizing existing ones.

Finally, bag bans take away choice at the grocery store. Our citizens and
policymakers should be focused on the important issues like education
and creating jobs, not telling us how to carry home our groceries.

A bag ban isn't the answer for me or my family, and it's not the answer for
Hailey. I support recycling, not bans, for our plastic grocery bags.

Massing in their millions, crucified and shredded on barbed wire fences,plastic

bags have come to be dubbed "roadside daisies" in South Africa. Some now even
mournfully refer to them as the country's national flower. Thousands of miles away in
the metaphorical plughole at the heart of the Pacific Ocean, a spinning mass of plastic
detritus, which includes countless carrier bags hanging limp in the water like jellyfish,
revolves in perpetuity. And in China, which last year saw the closure of one of the
world's largest plastic-bag factories, with the loss of 20,000 jobs, due to the
government's concern about "white pollution", an estimated 300m carrier bags are still
handed out to shoppers every day.
Plastic bags are one of the most recognisable symbols of our modern throwaway
culture. In the decades since their introduction the first plastic "baggies" for bread,
sandwiches and fruit were introduced in the US in 1957 their use has become
ubiquitous across the planet. One million are handed out every minute, according to

We Are What We Do, the not-for-profit group that was the driving force behind the
Anya Hindmarch-designed "I'm Not A Plastic Bag" reusable carrier that briefly and
somewhat ironically became a must-have accessory in 2007. It has long been the
instinctive reflex of the shop assistant to place the items we buy into a plastic bag
and, equally, it has been our instinctive reflex to accept them. Very few of us ever
questioned the logic or implications of such a mundane exchange. But in recent years,
the unsightly and growing presence of these bags across our collective environment
has led to a global movement to restrict their use and, in some cases, calls for their
outright ban.

According to reports yesterday, the Welsh Assembly is the latest government to

consider outlawing the free distribution of plastic bags in shops. Jane Davidson, the
Welsh environment minister, said that many shoppers were still failing "to embrace
the environmental message" despite a raft of measures by supermarkets and other
retailers to encourage us to use fewer of them. One solution now being given serious
consideration by the Welsh authorities is the introduction of a 15p levy on every
plastic or paper bag handed out to shoppers in the principality. Any revenue raised
would be ring-fenced for local environmental projects, the minister said. (She also
admitted that a small number of shoppers might be tempted to shop across the border
in England to escape the tax.)

Evidence from across the world suggests that such a politically bold move would
produce a dramatic drop in the number of bags being used each year in Wales. In
2002, Ireland introduced a 15 euro cents tax on each plastic bag the so-called
"plastax" and within a few months a 90% reduction in the number of bags being
used had been recorded. In total, the tax is thought to have led to a billion fewer bags
being used each year in Ireland. The tax persuaded shoppers to bring their own
reusable bags with them on shopping trips, or to request far fewer bags at the
checkout.

But the scheme has had its critics. While it was true that the tax led to a dramatic drop
in the number of bags being handed out in shops, it also triggered a 400% increase in
the number of bin liners and black refuse bags being purchased. The tax also
encouraged an increased reliance on paper bags which, according to a number of lifecycle analysis studies that have compared the environmental performance of various
types of bags, require more energy to manufacture and release more greenhouse gases
when degrading following their disposal. And while it is commonly accepted that
plastic bags are a genuine blot on the landscape (and seascape), they only represent a
tiny fraction of the waste stream by weight or by volume. For example, in the US they
account for less than half a percent of domestic refuse.

The implication expressed or otherwise of such criticism is that we are either

largely wasting our time pursuing such tactics in attempting to eradicate plastic bags,
or that we are allowing ourselves to be distracted by what is, relatively speaking, a

fairly minor environmental woe. James Lovelock, the climate scientist, has referred to
the current obsession with plastic bags as "rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic".
Patting ourselves on the back about how few plastic bags we each now use allows us
to ignore far more pressing environmental issues such as, say, climate change,
overpopulation, rapid species extinction and the depletion of resources such as fresh
water. Today's war on plastic bags is certainly worth fighting, but not if it is at the
expense of these other concerns.

"It's the carbon content of what goes into your plastic bags, not the plastic bags
themselves, that we should be worrying about," says Chris Goodall, the author of
How to Live a Low Carbon Life, and Ten Technologies to Save the Planet. "This is
100% more important than, say, the amount of oil used to make one plastic bag.
Plastic bags are a litter issue yes, they certainly cause great damage to marine life
but they are frequently seen as a carbon issue. They are not. They are an easy target
because they are one of the most visible environmental problems. But this doesn't
make them the most important environmental issue. Many assume that recycling is
the answer to the waste problem, rather than simply consuming less. It's not an easy
message for many people to accept. Worrying about plastic bags also gives the
illusion that small steps make a difference. This kind of radical change in thinking
will take a generation."

Goodall says that the various efforts to reduce the use of plastic bags be it through
government legislation or the voluntary efforts (spurred on by high-profile campaigns
by the likes of the Daily Mail) by supermarkets to reduce their customers' reliance on
such bags are invariably littered with unintended consequences. As has been seen in
Ireland, plastic bag taxes often lead to a rise in the number of bin liners being
purchased. "This plastic is much thicker and will prove to be a greater environmental
hazard than thin plastic bags," he says.

The widespread belief that biodegradable "plastic" bags made from, say vegetable
starch, are the panacea is also misguided, says Goodall. "I've still got a load of these
bags sitting at the bottom of my allotment two years later."

And introducing a plastic bag ban or tax doesn't necessarily produce lasting results. In
2007, the Irish authorities were forced to increase their bag tax to 22 euro cents after
the number of bags being used each year by every citizen rose from 21 to 31.
(However, before the tax was introduced, the Irish were, on average, each using 328
bags a year.)

There are also growing rumbles of concern in San Francisco, which, in 2007, became
the first city in the US to introduce a plastic bag ban. An investigation by the San
Francisco Weekly earlier this year found that in the period since the ban was
introduced there had actually been a slight rise in the number of plastic bags picked
up off the city's streets.

All eyes are now on Seattle. In a week's time [18 August], its citizens will get to vote
on whether to introduce a 20-cent levy on plastic bags. It represents one of the first
occasions when an electorate has been asked if it wants such a levy rather than having
it imposed on them by elected politicians. It's currently too close to call, but the
lobbying for both sides of the argument has been intense. One local paper reported
this week that the American Chemistry Council, the lobbying arm of the plastic
industry that includes members such as Dow Chemical, ExxonMobil and some of the
leading plastic-bag producers, had already spent almost $1.4m trying to defeat the bag
tax, whereas environmental groups had raised about $80,000. As a result, some of the
"yes" camp are now trying to dress up the battle as a vote against the influence of big
oil.

But while Seattle's levy might not quite be in the bag just yet, there is already talk in
some quarters about how an outright ban on all plastic bags is the ultimate goal. Haf
Elgar, a campaigner for Friends of the Earth Cymru, welcomes the moves by the
Welsh Assembly to consider a plastic bag levy, but believes the next logical step
would be a complete ban. "Yes, we would support such a step," she says. "Charging,
say, 15p for a bag is a great disincentive and a first step, but, ultimately, we all need to
be bringing reusable bags with us to the shops."

Perhaps we need a dose of even more radical thinking: how about a tax on leaving
home without a reusable bag? Think this is going too far? Earlier this year, a Beijingbased ecologist provoked a torrent of online abuse and ridicule when his suggestion
that tree planting be funded by a levy on individuals and businesses was interpreted
in media reports as a tax on breathing.

This article was amended on 12 August 2009 to clarify that while the scientist, Jiang
Youxu, proposed an environmental tax on businesses and carbon-producing city
dwellers, he did not propose as our original article said a tax on breathing. This
has been corrected.

Are We Saving Earth by Banning Plastic

Bag?
90
rate or flag

By bekaze
Despite all the shoutout from many environmentalists to reduce plastic bags consumptions,
are you seeing any different in common daily plastic use? how do this effect you? No? is it
important? is it not important?
Plastic plays significant roles in our environment, social, as well as economical dimension.
Plastics consumption has wide range in our life, from packaging, transport packaging, to

components in cars, building materials, electronics, furniture and new technology. We (still)
need plastics.
Please note: I use two different terms here, dont mixed up plastic and plastic bag. Where I
mention plastic it is plastic in general, and plastic bag is only a small part of plastic
production. Plastic for all plastic products namely everything that has plastic component from
product components such as housing for electronic products, component in cars, components
in bulding materials,component in electronics, toys, packaging such as plastic bottle, plastic
bags.
See all 5 photos

Now lets discuss about

plastic bags and plastic
bag bans
In public debate, plastic
bag has a bad image due
to irresponsible littering
behavior in human societies. This littering caused health and pollution problems, especially in
developing countries where the garbage and recycling systems are not getting a proper
priority.
Is plastic degradable? it actually degrades very slowly over a long long time, thus generally it
is non degradable. Since plastic is not degradable once ended in land or water, it will stay
there, it will break to smaller pieces over a long time but it still remains. Thus irresponsible
plastic littering is also seen as unnecessary waste and unsustainable use of plastic.
Lets see some facts on plastic production and recycling:
A. Production
*very roughly estimated, source: polystyrene producer* To produce 1kg plastic we need 2kg
oil equivalent for material and energy use during production.
Global plastic production in year 2006 is about 245 million tones. (Plastic Europe Market
Research Group, 2007)
Is there any significant oil-saving by banning plastic bags? Most plastic production uses oil as
raw materials. Oil is non renewable. But
Oil is mostly used for fuel (50%), heating (32%), electricity (8%), chemicals (10%). Global
oil consumption for plastic production is about 5%. **
Only five percent of oil consumption goes to plastic production! From overall plastic
production! That means five percent of global oil consumption (=5% of 245 million tonnes
used oil) goes for plastic packaging for food/drink, plastic packaging for transporation, plastic

for electronic component, plastic for furniture, plastic for housing, plastic for tire production,
etc.
And, how many percent of this 5% accounts for plastic bags?
** Source: Leben und Umwelt mit Kunstoffen, BASF*
... how many percent of global oil consumption goes for plastic bags?
The answer is: less than 2% of total global oil consumption!
Some news or articles will claim that reducing plastic will reduce global oil consumption. I
am not sure if this is a significant amount since we are talking about 2%.
Another thesis we can pull is: saving or banning plastic bag, is not going to reduce global
plastic production because plastic bags is less than 2% from overal global plastic production!
B. Recycling
Most plastic bags are
made of polyethylene.
Plastic recycling in city/
urban areas has proven to
be difficult. Different than
glass, paper and metals,
which are easier to process mechanically, it is often labor intensive and cost intensive (not
cost effective) to sort plastic waste.
For example, recycling Polystyrene is rarely cost effective. However the overall plastic
recycling systems are problematic, not only of plastic bags, isnt it? What I am saying is that
maybe we should pay more attention on all plastic waste, instead of just blaming plastic
bags.
Plastic recycling is improving and hopefully getting better and better. Many people confused
the concept of down-cycling with real-recycling.
Recycling plastic bottles into plastic bag is called down-cycling. Thus, many plastic bags are
down-cycled products. Another example of down-cycling is: one way plastic bottle that will
be cycled into flanel jacket.
Recycling a plastic bottle into another new bottle with more or less the same quality, is
called real re-cyling. PET systems claims to use this system. Even though PET is
probably using new material (which is oil) to process the production of the new bottles,
they claim at least not to have plastic waste.
Seeing from raw-material use: Down cycling is not so good, while real-recycling is good.
So when companies claim to "recycle" their plastic waste, I always question whether they
mean down-cycling or re-cycling.
However, down-cycled plastic which cannot be down-cycled anymore will normally be burnt
and will be converted into energy. In developing countries, that is not the case yet, they just
burnt it in incinerators without using the energy from it.

C. Vs Bioplastic and Vs Paper Bag

Of course each product is promoting its own benefits and goodness. There are always
advantage and disadvantages of each product.

Plastics are generally lighter than paper, thus easier and less costly to
transport after production, means less fuel (which mean less CO2 waste, less
oil used).Plastic production needs also less energy than paper.
Bioplastic bag is degrading much better than plastic bag, but it still costs a
lot of energy on production.(the energy used to produce bioplastic may
come from oil as well)
Paper production is one of the most polluting industries since it involves lots
of chemicals and uses relatively a lot of water and energy. Recycling paper
needs also a lot of energy and chemicals because old papers have to be
cleaned, de-ink, etc. Recycled papers need usually 60-80% paper waste, and
the rest would be new materials. New materials in this case are often virgin
pulp, originally from three.

In developing countries like China and India there is a new emerging trend of banning plastic
ban. According to thedailygreen.com , China will save millions barrels oil every year though
plastic bag ban (1 barrel=159Ltr). However, there are many debates stating this ban goes
flimsy as enforcement is not strong enough.
So what is the real problem with
plastic bags? What is the solution?
Is it littering problem? then it is our
awareness to be changed. Why
making a ban on plastic bags when it
turns to be flimsy enforcement
anyway?
There are still millions of plastic produced each year. If plastic bag littering is the problem,
we should work on the awareness problems. Banning plastic bag without strong law
enforcement does not bring a lot. In China there is plastic bag ban since 2007, but people are
still using plastic bags due to lack of enforcement.
Of course it is wrong to throw away plastic bag everywhere and it is annoying to see plastic
bags floating on rivers or seas. I totally agree. Please dont throw plastic waste everywhere.
Actually it should applies for all other waste that we human produce. It wont be nice to see a
river or sea full of floating plastic bottles or metal waste such as cola cans, etc.
It is also very annoying to hear that: Millions tonnes of oils are spilled on the sea. Wildlife are
endangered due to illegal huntings, illegal handlings or habitat destruction. Countries with
nuclear powers. Developing countries are still smoking our earth with their CO-2 waste from
their factories.
I am also annoyed when sometimes it heard as if plastic bag is causing more problems than
other environmental problems such as what I mentioned above. Dont get me wrong I am just

questioning the priority here. Do you get the impression too that to some countries it is more
important to ban plastic bag instead of enforcing laws to reduce CO2?
Banning plastic bag, which could urge the use of other material such as paper, or bio plastic
may also lead to another environmental problems. The paper comes from woods, and you
cannot total 100% recycling paper. I worked in paper industry so believe me I know. To
produce a new paper, depends on its grade, it is common to use up to 80% used paper, the rest
will be a fresh raw material. It means if we use more papers, there will be more trees cut, so
who knows whether it may lead to forest deforestation or not.
Attitude might be the answer for our earth problems. A sustainable use of everything.
No unnecessary use of materials and energy.
Promote our earth!
Promote 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) for everything we use in life.(e.g. less fuel, less
electricity, less paper, avoiding unnecessary use of plastic and plastic packaging, multiple use
of reusable shopping bag, bring your plastic to recycler).
Promote that we can do more than just minimizing plastic bags. Promoting less oil
consumption means less fuel which accounts for 50% oil consumption. It does not help our
world if we succeed banning plastic bag but using unnecessary fuel. It is irony if there are
environmentalists who fight against plastic bag and privately using cars instead of public
transportation. Saving our world is more than just avoiding plastic bag!
Attitude might be the answer for our earth problems.
News: Plastic-bag ban full of holes

Our view on the environment: Plastic-bag ban full of holes - Opinion USATODAY.com
Plastic Bag Wars Poised to Continue - Green Inc. Blog - NYTimes.com
In the wake of Seattle voters' decisive rejection of a proposed 20 cent fee on
paper and plastic bags, the anti-bag coalition has vowed to press for an allout ban on the bags.

Could a plastic bag ban stop people from

being trashy?
CORPUS CHRISTI Littering the landscape with plastic shopping bags is indeed a
problem. The proposed solution banning them doesn't address the problem at its source,
which is the people doing the littering. A bag ban only removes bags from their arsenal, much
like a ban on so-called "assault" rifles can change the cosmetics of a law-abiding gun owner's
home arsenal.
For an inanimate object, the plastic bag, like the assault rifle, has attained quite a reputation
for villainy. Truth is, its penchant for premeditated environmental depredation is overblown.
Lift an empty one to appreciate the tininess of its footprint compared to a paper bag or a
Prius. The green reputation of those two products overlooks their manufacture, which does
much heavier environmental damage than the manufacture of plastic bags.

Improperly discarded plastic bags make an unsightly spectacle of the landscape, which more
easily camouflages other litter such as plastic drink bottles, plastic foam cups and cigarette
butts that fly easily out of car and truck windows. The bags' environmental impact is smaller
than their visual statement. Also, we tend to remember our outrage at the sight of those bags
caught in trees and brush more readily than we remember how useful they are when used
properly.
The ones that come back from the grocery store make it safely into the house, where they are
reused as budget trash can liners, lunch bags and pet poop picker uppers. In the home
environment the bags usually are disposed of safely in a trash can or better the
recyclables bin. We have no idea how many bags can be wadded and stuffed into one bag for
storage or recycling. We just know it's a lot.
Plastic bags from a convenience store or fast food restaurant are much more likely to end up
as litter, which is no reason to ban convenience stores or fast food restaurants.
Plastic bags make a minuscule dent in landfill space and, according to a 2009 Wall Street
Journal article, were found to be only a tiny fraction of the street litter in San Francisco, less
pervasive than chewing gum and cigarette butts.
The heavily touted alternatives, paper bags and reusable shopping bags, pose their own
problems. Paper bags are more costly and less environmental to manufacture, and aren't as
strong as plastic especially when wet. A joint study by the University of Arizona and
Loma Linda University in California found that reusable grocery bags tended to harbor
dangerous germs and that most users weren't aware that the bags needed to be washed to
prevent this problem.
That doesn't negate the reusable bags as a solution. Preventing the germ problem by washing
the bags is easy enough.
The local Surfrider Foundation promoted reusable bags at the Jan. 31 City Council meeting,
also urging a plastic bag ban. The council is scheduled to discuss a ban at its Feb. 21 meeting.
While we share the sentiment that inspired the call for a ban, bags don't litter, people do. But
since the bags, unlike guns, have no Second Amendment protection, maybe we'll find out
whether a bag ban will solve Corpus Christi's trashy people problem.
Commentary: Banning plastic bags means bruised groceries

Since plastic bags have been banned in local supermarkets, I've been returning
home with bruised groceries in even more bruised bags. I'm not alone; most of
my friends and their parents have been adjusting poorly to coming home with
shaky armfuls instead of bagfuls of groceries.
While conserving the environment should be paramount to being
inconvenienced, I can't help but think there's a better option, especially
considering the holes in this one.
The plastic bag ban states that in San Jose retail stores, single-use plastic bags
are not provided, but customers can pay 10 cents extra per paper bag or go
bagless. This, ideally, should push customers to use reusable bags, but as
testament to the human condition, I am too lazy and resort to lugging my
groceries through the back door.
What's really unfortunate about this situation is the fact that this ill-timed
government intervention has little standing on reducing littering. More prevalent
than a couple stray plastic bags are litter like newspapers and fast-food joint
packaging.
Plastic bags make up such a negligible amount of the littering problem, and
banning them causes troublesome inconveniences that could be remedied if
environmentalists targeted their intentions toward a problem more deserving of
their attention.
Furthermore, the other option--paper bags--has been protested in the past by
environmentalists in favor of saving trees. With the plastic
bag ban, not only are customers being inconvenienced, but the "viable,"
government-supported option of using paper bags is equally environmentally
detrimental.
The long-term benefits of banning plastic bags, whatever they may be, do not
take into account the inevitable shortcomings that come from paper bags, and a
lack of action taken to prevent more important litter and landfill problems.
Nearly everybody I know reuses plastic bags as garbage bags, lunch sacks, for
cleaning up after their dogs, etc.--the list goes on and on. What this law
represents to me is legislature for the sake of legislature--a bigger government
intervention just because.
This law does not make anyone's life easier. Similar to banking companies that
charge extra for using the ATM, or media-streaming companies that charge extra
for the same service, this ban provides no net improvement.
If the problem targeted is littering, then it is those laws that should be enforced. I
notice that when I go shopping, the only consistency is the overflowing trash bin.
In order to prevent littering, the current laws should be more strictly enforced,
requiring trash bins to be maintained regularly and kept clean at all times.

Singling out one item and addressing only said item is a perfect way to
circumvent the real issue.
The decisionmakers behind this one should be focusing on more effective ways
to increase public safety, lower crime rates and fix the budget, not banning
plastic bags at the supermarket.

With the Issaquah City Council delaying their voteon an ordinance that would ban plastic
bags and tax paper bags, and in light of a recentSammamish-Issaquah Patch
poll demonstrating that local residents have mixed opinions on the issue, I thought I would
take this opportunity to explain why banning or taxing plastic bags is not the right decision
for Sammamish and Issaquah consumers, businesses, and the economy.
As Director of Sustainability and Marketing forHilex Poly, an American manufacturer of
plastic bags and operator of the worlds largest closed loop plastic bag recycling facility, I
understand how this ordinance would impact American jobs in the manufacturing and
recycling industries and why local recycling programs are a far better choice than plastic bag
bans or taxes.
Firstly, plastic bags are more than single-use items. They are 100% recyclable and, according
to anAPCO study, about 90 percent of American households reuse some of their plastic bags
for bin liners, household chores, pet waste and more. A ban or tax would push consumers to
use less environmentally friendly paper bags, which require more energy to produce and
transport, or reusable bags, which are not recyclable and can have health consequences.
A study conducted byUse Less Stuff found that following the San Francisco bag ban, a
significant amount of double bagging occurred. And according to a study by University of
Arizona microbiologist Dr. Charles P. Gerba, reusable bags can contain harmful bacteria like
Ecoli and salmonella, which can cause serious illness.
Instead of banning a 100% reusable and recyclable product, Hilex believes in common sense
legislation that preserves American manufacturing and recycling jobs and supports recycling.
In the United States, more than 30,000 people are directly employed by the plastic bag
manufacturing and recycling industry, and thousands more are indirectly employed. In fact,
the industry employs 1,000 Washingtonians here thanks to the plastic bag manufacturers,
logistics and warehousing companies that support the plastic bag industry. Legislation would
directly impact these jobs and the families who make their living here.
The industry has made great progress over the past 10 years. According to the latest
EPA Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States report,
recycling of polyethylene (PE) bags, sacks and wraps increased to 15 percent in the last year,
with PE plastic bag, sack and wrap recycling growing 9 out of the last 10 years. Our very
own Bag-2-Bag program has also made recycling easier and more convenient for consumers
by establishing more than 30,000 drop-off bins at retailers across the country. Although we
realize there is still more we can do to improve recycling rates, we hope to have the support
of local residents and legislators to help continue this increase.

If you are interested in learning more, please visit the Bag the Ban multimedia or learn the
factspages for more information. And if youre interested in taking action, please sign our
petition for Washington State here or for nationwide plastic bag legislation here.

Plastic bag recycling benefits Goodrell

school garden
6:19 PM, Apr. 28, 2012 |
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Communities

Goodrell Middle School is among 20 schools that will receive plastic raised-bed kits for
school gardens courtesy of a national grant program.
The money comes from the Build with Bags program sponsored by the Iowa Grocery
Industry Association. Build with Bags grants will be used to start and enrich a school
gardening program, which provides hands-on, educational experiences for students.
The Build with Bags program has exceeded our expectations in encouraging individuals to
recycle their plastic bags so those bags can be turned into products that beautify our
communities, said Michelle Hurd, interim president of the Iowa Grocery Industry

Association. This years grant winners are reaping the rewards of their recycling efforts, and
we hope other communities will follow suit and expand their recycling efforts.
Thirty applications were submitted and 20 winners were selected to share in grants totaling
$36,421. In the Des Moines school district, Monroe Elementary School also was selected as a
grant recipient and will receive plastic raised-bed kits.