EVERYONE nees to see this, re: Plastic Bags

[garybeck]

This PowerPoint presentation is a must see. You might never use a plastic bag again.

http://solarbus.org/documents/plasticbags.pps

Please share it. Make it viral! I didn't make the presentation. I received it in an email and felt obligated to put it on a web server where people can share it more conveniently.

The answer is simple. Banning plastic bags would be great. Another option is to just start charging people to use them. If they cost 10 cents each most people would stop using them. Most grocery stores have cloth bags for only $1 now.

Please watch and share this presentation:

http://solarbus.org/documents/plasticbags.pps

[taterguy]

1. If everyone needs to see it why not cross-post in GD

Just a suggestion

[garybeck]

3. maybe we'll hit the greatest page from here. :)

if not I'll cross post.

PS. I like your avatar.

[bagrman]

70. CAN ANYONE CHANGE THIS TO A VIDEO AND DUMP ON YOUTUBE? THANKS

[sinkingfeeling]

2. We could save 10% of our oil usage by banning all plastic bags, packaging, and bottles and jars.

[truedelphi]

25. Maybe or maybe not

I share the optimism of your sentiments, but plastic is somewhat made out of the "residue" that is left over from the refining of oil and gasoline.

So it is mostly a waste product that the oil companies would be trucking off to super fund sites if we weren't allowing it to be made into other things.

[kestrel91316]

27. Which is why we should be using this VALUABLE, LIMITED resource

for something more important than disposable bags.

We will ALWAYS need our plastic syringes and fluid bags and such in the medical field. We don't need plastic grocery bags.

[truedelphi]

32. Good point. n/t

[Coexist]

4. thank you. I have forwarded that to my entire email list.

[liberal N proud]

5. If only I could remember to take the reusable bag when shopping

I always forget to put it back in the car. My wife carried one in her purse for a long time. She lost it and has gotten out of practice.
Those damn plastic bags were just too easy to grab.

I will share this with our Sustainability team

[garybeck]

10. When I forget to bring my cloth bags, I penalize myself financially

by buying the $1 cloth bags at the store.

[mod mom]

68. me too. I always keep at least 1 in my car and one in my purse folded.

[Mist]

11. It takes a while to learn new habits! I bought 12 (yes 12!) reusable cloth

bags, at about a dollar apiece. Some were the bigger bags from Trader Joe's, the others were the regular size.
I actually had them in the car, then forgot to take them into the store a few times! Duh. I'm at the point now where
I manage to have very few plastic bags foisted off on me. If I'm buying one or two small things, I just carry them out
of the store, or put them in my purse. Taking a bag into any store, not just food stores, helps. Some bags even fold up
and have snaps, so they can easily fit in a pocket or purse.
But it took a while to really learn my new routine--always have bags in the car, and remember to use them!

Another tip: If you don't want to run the empty bags out to the car right after unloading them in the house, just hang them off the door knob, so you'll see them next time you leave the house.

[kestrel91316]

28. I keep a couple of the cloth bags in the car, and

a couple hanging with my purse on the coat hook near my front door. So whether I am in the car and stop at the store, or at home and walking to the store, they are always available. And by limiting myself to two bags either way, I buy less at one time and never buy crap I shouldn't anymore - just the essentials.

[robinlynne]

14. I keep a bunch in the car trunk.

[robinlynne]

15. another thing you can do is put that drawer full of plastic bags in the trunk and reuse them.

[kentauros]

21. Here, that "drawer full of plastic bags" is more like

bags and bags stuffed with hundreds of the things. However, they are put to another use: cleaning out the catbox

I guess when I have no more plastic bags I'll have to buy some just for the catbox. With an undeclawed cat (he won't be declawed, either) a box-liner isn't an option. Any heavy-duty hemp-paper recyclable/biodegradable bags out there yet? ;)

I got into the habit of keeping bags in my car years ago, even if it was only one or two. Then I bought more: reusablebags.com :)

[kestrel91316]

29. I buy brown paper lunch sacks for cat litter. But most of the time I

use plastic grocery bags (I still wind up with a few despite my best efforts) and the plastic wrapper some magazines come in, and plastic food packaging, to dispose of cat litter scoopings. It's shocking how many plastic bags I accumulate just by buying food packaged in it.

Oh, and there is an argument to be made to just landfill plastics rather than recycling them. I read the book "Garbageland" and the author discusses this.

[emilyg]

42. I switched to flushable litter.

[stimbox]

49. Flushable litter is bad for the environment.

Don't Flush That Flushable Litter

Municipal sewage treatment plants traditionally treat sewage to kill harmful bacteria, remove the waste solids, and pump the resultant "safe" effluent directly into a freshwater source that eventually drains into ocean bays. Unfortunately present means of sewage treatment do not kill the T. Gondii parasite, which is carried in cat feces, among other sources. Cat owners using flushable litters, may be unwittingly contributing to the ultimate deaths of sea otters.

http://cats.about.com/b/2006/08/17/black-cats-picture-gallery-october-cat-calendar-honoring-black-cats.htm

Don't flush that 'flushable' kitty litter


By Dr. Rolan Tripp
McClatchy-Tribune News Service

As a veterinarian who advises pet owners on behavior problems, I have the dubious distinction of being an expert on the fascinating subjects of urine, feces and kitty litter.

Here's a news flash for unknowing cat lovers: "flushable kitty litter" may be one reason some cats stop using their litter box — strike one! This is because the clump produced by flushable litter tends to fall apart, leaving small remnants, the stinky stuff, to mix in with the fresh litter. In time, this results in a residual smell that repels some fastidious felines from using the litter box.

Recent research has shown that flushable litter reaching the ocean is one factor threatening wildlife, especially sea otters — strike two! To be fair, the problem isn't the litter itself. It is the cat feces mixed with the litter that releases the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii that kill many otters.

If that still wasn't enough, plumbers tell me that flushing even "flushable" litter eventually clogs pipes — strike three!

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Sep/05/il/FP609060366.html

[emilyg]

52. Thanks.

Did not know.

[kestrel91316]

89. I hear plumbers love it when people do that.

FWIW. :evilgrin:

I am leery of any litter that claims to be flushable. Either it's not truly flushable, or it's not truly litter (meaning it's crappy in the odor department).

[roody]

36. The clear plastic bags are easy to reuse to buy bulk items.

The twist tie too. The hard part is getting them into the car, then into the store.

[kentauros]

38. Yeah, I reuse the produce and bulk bags often...

though like you say, remembering to take those bags to the car doesn't always happen ;)
I don't reuse the twist-ties since they often have the bin-codes written on them, and I don't necessarily remember which number goes to what. Produce bags I just tie a loose slip knot and forego the ties. You can also reuse those mesh onion bags since they don't break down very fast either :)

[LiberalFighter]

79. I foster for a rescue

And use those bags for soiled newspapers. Sometimes to pick up pooh in the yard.

The newspaper bags I use for picking up pooh in the yard and tie and then double bag to keep the smell isolated. The clear bags make it easier to see what I am picking up and that I am getting it all.

[ginnyinWI]

74. plastic rips too easily to reuse very many times--I use paper bags

and bring the same ones back to the store again and again. The store is happy and I feel virtuous.

[CrispyQ]

17. After I've unloaded my goods from the bags I put the bags under my car keys.

I'll bet I've gotten less than 10 new plastic bags in the last three years. I've also collected more canvas bags, so I have enough in the car that even if I leave them in the house I have plenty.

Also, don't forget that reusing your plastic bags is perfectly acceptable. You can stash lots of them just about anywhere!

Tell me more about your Sustainability team, please. Is this a local group & how did you hear about it & how did it get started & what exactly do you do?

[kestrel91316]

30. We have always reused plastic grocery bags at my clinic, even when it

was considered tacky. I have NEVER bought custom logo-imprinted bags for my clients to use once and throw away. We don't have as many people bringing them in anymore, though. I think when we run out I will use brown paper lunch sacks (very cheap at Target, lol)for sending meds and small items home and we can put a label on them that I can print right here in the office. Larger items people can just carry in their hands, no big deal.

[knitter4democracy]

39. I know some yarn shops that use a stamp on paper bags.

Paper's better for the yarn than the plastic bags anyway, so a few shops I know get paper bags and then stamp them with a cute stamp they had made with their shop logo. It works really well and saves a ton off of ordering the bags printed somewhere.

[skids]

51. I put my refundable bottles and cans in them...

...that way I remember to take them to the car.

[RobertSeattle]

6. Half the time you don't even need bag

Just carry the darn stuff in your hands if it is just a couple of things.

[grace0418]

8. And one sturdy cloth bag can carry as much as three of those plastic bags (which

they always double-up anyway).

[Randypiper]

35. You can fill them to the top,

they don't lose your groceries onto the floor of your car and you don't have to search for all those god damn bag handles.

[CrispyQ]

44. I cringe when I see someone buy a gallon of milk & put it in a plastic bag.

:wtf:

[nolabels]

62. Rice Dream comes in cardboard boxes

Don't Drink Your Milk!: New Frightening Medical Facts About the World's Most Overrated Nutrient (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Drink-Your-Milk-Frightening/dp/0945383347

[Book Lover]

7. Bobbolink brought up a great point about this issue some while ago

that is worth considering: the effect this has on the poor:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=2836690

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=2891374

[Maat]

26. I always tell people, "I understand," when they tell me that they ..

have to shop at WalMart due to economic reasons. I try never to force my values on others. I do, however, take a look at whether or not they are telling me the truth; for example, if they are hiding wealth, and not making any lifestyle changes, then I don't want to hang around them. If they genuinely are struggling, I get them help, and don't pass judgment. I have given reusable bags to many families, who appreciated that.

You are quite correct; we have to keep a person's situation in mind always.

[LiberalFighter]

82. They probably haven't done a good job of price comparison with other stores.

[kestrel91316]

31. Well, I guess it takes all sorts. I get SCREAMED at for suggesting that

people who have a patch of land might be wise to start growing a few of their own veggies. Because it's some sort of insult to poor people who have a patch of land.

[LiberalFighter]

84. Remind them that is what they did in the early 1900's and during the big wars.

[no_hypocrisy]

9. I use a small wicker basket and do smaller trips and buy less.

[Liberty Belle]

12. Markets should go back to paper bags in produce sections, meat counters, etc.

Even if we bring cloth shopping bags to the market, we still need smaller bags to hold those items which must be weighed at checkout.

Can we start a movement to ask grocery chains to offer alternatives to plastic bags in produce sections, at least? Think how many bags you use just to hold fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc. Even the health food stores have plastic bags at their bulk bins.

[DebJ]

60. I'd join that movement! I've often thought of that when shopping

lately. I was remembering shopping with my mother in the 1960s. How can we get such a thing going?

[Liberty Belle]

92. You could start a new thread and ask everyone who agrees to kick it. Better yet

look up the email addresses for the major supermarket chains (Krofers and Safeaway are the largest) and urge everyone to click, cut and paste a pre-written action alert.

If you do that and e-mail it to me at [e-mail] I will forawrd it to a few hundred activists and urge all of them to forawrd it, as well as post it here.

[Duppers]

13. the UK has been charging for plastic bags since the early 80's

When ck'ing out of a supermarket line, one would be charged 5p for a plastic bag. Consequently, most all brought our own bags.

I thought it was a great idea then and wondered why we, here in the U.S., weren't doing the same.

[Warpy]

16. I know the sight of plastic bags flapping in the tops of my trees

for 2 years after some slob as thrown them out on the street on a windy day has kept me from using the damned things whenever I can avoid them. The ones I am forced to take by a few retail places are recycled into trash bags, bread bags, and simply dumped into the recycling bin.

The stores around me generally give a nickel discount for every canvas bag I fill. That's a great carrot and my bags have paid for themselves several times over. The canvas bags also hold a lot more than those wimpy plastic jobs and never break in the parking lot, necessitating crawling around to retrieve anything that rolls under cars.

I imagine as oil and therefore plastic get more expensive we'll see a charge for bags at the market. I am not happy about that, since it will hit poor folks the hardest, folks who can't make that initial investment into a string or canvas bag without cutting into an already inadequate food budget.

Still, I'll be glad to see the damned things no longer in all the trees around here when it finally happens.

[intheflow]

50. That's one of my most haunting memories of the Gulf Coast

after Katrina. Those plastic bags were everywhere, in every tree, under mud, blown into corners of ruined houses, blowing around the beaches. It was really, really bad around where the Wal-Mart washed away, but it was pretty prevalent everywhere. Because of course they didn't only come form the businesses that had been destroyed, but also thousands from every home that had been destroyed. :(

Here's a photo I took, you can see the bags wrapped around this piece of fence.

[rucognizant]

66. Hell, that looks like NJ, DEL, CT, NY MD, DC,

I just drove from ME to FLA.& back. The above named states had bags festooned in the trees, all along the highway, from CT to VA. NO FLOOD caused that!
Once you get into the Southern Repig. governed states, there are prisoners out along the highway cleaning up trash.
That raises of course the subject of slave labour...........but they're clean!

[LiberalFighter]

85. Did someone lose their bra? On left side it looks like one.

[kestrel91316]

18. If they cost 10c apiece most Californians would STILL throw them away.

They throw plastic beverage bottles away in the streets by the millions, and those have a redemption value of 5c (and 10c for liters).

[garybeck]

20. studies show

the bottles with redemption value have much higher rate of recycling. i agree, it would be better to ban them altogether. I think if they cost 10 cents, you'd see a shift to cloth. especially with the $1 cloth bags that are out there now.

[Gormy Cuss]

71. That's because the redemption system in CA isn't at point of purchase.

In most, if not all other bottle bill states retailers must redeem returnables and redemption centers are only secondary. Here we expect people to find and use redemption centers even if they're not convenient. If redemption were as easy as walking into the nearest grocery store those bottles would disappear. I watched it happen in other states after a bottle bill was implemented.

What's perverse is that the major grocery chains like Safeway have collection barrels for their plastic bags, but heaven forbid they would be required to take back bottles and cans in this state.

[awoke_in_2003]

78. Don't know if you are old enough

to remember, but that worked well when sodas came in glass bottles. I believe that you got a nickle back for every bottle you returned to the store (in the late 70's a bottle of coke was quarter).

[Gormy Cuss]

83. It works well in MA, ME, VT, etc.

I am old enough to remember paying deposits on glass bottles (soda AND milk.) Scouring the streets for empties was a favorite pastime when I was a kid.

Seriously, I've lived in both MA and Maine pre- and post-bottle bill implementation and it was stunning to see how quickly those plastic bottles and cans disappeared from the gutters once they had redemption value.

[awoke_in_2003]

88. "favorite pastime when I was a kid"

yep, I remember doing that to. We didn't have much money growing up.

[Lugnut]

19. K&R n/t

[stuntcat]

22. I'm sending this to my family

I've lost hope but I still want people to think about what they take for granted.

[ForeignSpectator]

23. K&R

[Maat]

24. I didn't see this; thanks for the post; BUT ...

I stopped using plastic bags long ago, when I discovered, on www.reusablebags.com, the number of plastic bags released into the environment. I knew that plastics were a byproduct of the oil industry (Hubby was in the industry, on the computer modeling end, for decades, before he came to the Good Side; he's been out now for many years).

I carry a hemp backpack, and other reusable grocery bags.

Edited to add:
Oh, that IS from my favorite site, www.reusablebags.com!

[jmatthan]

33. This is one side of the story

I am afraid what you see in this PPS presentation is only one side of a story.

The problem is not plastics bags but the behaviour of people who use them as well as Government Policies with regard to recycling.

I addressed this in an article I wrote in "Findians Briefings" (Hard Copy) in 1992 and this summary was published on the internet in a 1996 Fortnightly Web issue of Findians Briefings.

Western Recycling Doomed

If you are interested in a detailed discussion on this subject you must look at factors regarding all aspects of use of oil, as gasoline, etc. as well as the amount of energy it takes to produce the plastics bags as against (for example) the consumption of oil to produce a cloth bag.

I am sorry but as I have retired over 5 years ago, I have not kept all the relevant data on this subject which I had prepared in the 1970s and 1980s.

However, if pushed, I would be willing to try to recreate a more balanced picture than the dramatic negative one shown in this Power Point presentation.

As a rider let me say that I spent 35 years as an environmentally conscious Plastics Consultant both in the developed world as well as in the third world.

Jacob Matthan
Oulu, Finland

[knitter4democracy]

40. Everything in that link is how my stepmom and mom raised me.

Use newspaper to wrap things, as garden mulch, and craft liner so the paint doesn't get on whatever surface you're on. Save all your margarine tubs for when you do freezer jam or for painting or some craft project for the kids. Save your canning jars and reuse them over and over again, but use other glass jars to store leftovers in. We did have some plastic storage containers, but they were almost all reused until they were so warped or cracked we couldn't use them anymore.

I've been trying to do all of that and cut down on our waste. The paper still gets past me, though. Between Hubby's med journals, the junk mail, the magazines, and the paper, our recycling bin is full every week--and I still use it up when I can.

[FlyingSquirrel]

34. I still use plastic bags, for now.

I know I should buy cloth bags but just haven't done it yet.

However, I do save all my plastic bags, and re-use them whenever possible. When I get too big a stash, I bundle them up and recycle them.

[roody]

37. You can reuse a good paper bag many times.

[Wednesdays]

41. How ironic can you get?

If they cost 10 cents each most people would stop using them. Most grocery stores have cloth bags for only $1 now.

So, the plastic bags are free while the environmentally-friendly bags cost money. Looks like we've got our priorities mixed up. :shrug:

[Arctic Dave]

43. Unbelievable.

[DaveJ]

45. Yeah, they should be illegal. It's a no brainer. n/t

[Steerpike_Denver]

46. Paper bags are not the answer

They actually waste MORE petroleum than plastic, because, first of all, they're heavier and more bulky, so it takes more diesel-fueled trucks to haul them around. Second, the manufacturing process is more energy-intensive for paper. The empahsis needs to be on reducing the amount of plastic we use in packaging. Think of the amount of thick, tough clear plastic surrounding something as simple as a DVD or a SD memory card. I bought one of these the other day, and there was about ten times as much plastic (as well as printed, bleached cardboard) in the display package as in the product itself! They do this intentionally, of course, to make these tiny items to bulky to shoplift easily. Then the clerk at the store does what? Sticks it in a plastic bag for me to carry out of the store, even though it was the only thing I was buying.

[rucognizant]

69. They are elder unfriendly too!

Now that I am "loosing my grip" ( strength in my fingers,) It is a real wrestling match to open all those nasty little packages. I have folding scissors on my key chain, in case I buy cookies or a candy bar while on the road, even those plastics are almost impossible to tear with your fingers!

[AndyTiedye]

93. Carry a Swiss Army Knife

[tbyg52]

47. Hooray for good old SolarBus! nt

[LiberalFighter]

86. Would had been even better if they had reusable cloth bags in their store.

[LiberalPersona]

48. We take reusable bags, but don't always remember them unfortunately nt

[EV_Ares]

59. We have the same problem & we bought the green bags like it showed in the power point. I hereby

pledge to do better on that. You know, I knew most of this and another thing that they should ban is those plastic things that wrap around drinks or coke bottles and things. Those things get loose in the ocean and they have found them wrapped around fish and actually start getting cut into them. We are bad news as far as the way we have treated our planet.

[Connonym]

53. K&R

[Bluenorthwest]

54. Some plastic bags are recycle fodder

And the bags at my local market can even be composted. The sort of bag they use is the key. That market takes five cents off if you bring your own bag too.

[harmonicon]

55. that was great. this was my favourite part:

plö¶íQL/ü”TK�Oxç,s3Gt»`í¬Œ‚*$3ʼN�Óù|µÑéz¿]­›?õ™œÚÛç>áwJc1à ;™�ŽÔ‚§Vi._öã®ÖÕTØCd±Åa0ö1Ùû±6ÑV;5´ä”Pî‘‹~fbuçì÷´Ó—‘•YA0ø›•râõUOÖʵçPÍÃ\ëþÓjú½…ÖýïFãä§·T’îÎ$„ Ý-£>ÖU§ª•ñCRÕ±ê}-•áœ®Uåxäê.ç¼öæC9ÍÆ„
²“Å|Æ»“|®žÉçÀ1³¹k¬ÌyK£ðÈÍÔ®ø”Š‚*ã ìÆPÄf-¬ãŽ)-Jb®¥ÕÄtSú†„¶ïÍ»�ôkƒ1ñse&ýÜ]"õ¤ˆ5¹C#¤f«$).ê0_©ùi­õÐì^öÄX¿¼í.Œ˜q,W±A+†;Ë}¥&©'š�>z/\)E)íÖÏ÷Rq$W·V¶öîÞÖ{'1Éo*‘Ãò²Ÿ/–¸öÅVQïzn×·ëo×Äÿ

[all.of.me]

64. lol - That's all I'm getting, too!

I'm on a Mac. Is that why?

[harmonicon]

72. I think it's because we don't have the powerpoint program installed...

but I'm on a mac too, so that could be it.

[jmatthan]

77. How to see it on a Mac

Download the file.
Remove the txt ending so it is just a pps file.
Then use the free NeoOffice Presentation application to open this file.

[pop goes the weasel]

56. re-use the plastic bags

Anyone can cram a plastic bag into a pocket, and they take up hardly any space in a purse. And keep a couple to line your cloth bags, so if you buy meat or fish, your cloth bag won't have to be washed (you can usually rinse the plastic ones easily enough). So, reuse the plastic bags you have, and when they get a hole, use them to line a waste can. Or cut into strips and crochet them into a mudmat or even a new bag.

[Sherman A1]

57. Precisely

The Christian Science Monitor did a story on this... Oh, about a year ago and gave some good stats. That said, Plastic bags can be recycled at my grocery store as well as reused for various things. So it's not the bag itself but the user.

[jennied]

58. Costco's reusable bags are amazing. They're large and very sturdy

[raystorm7]

61. I'm buying what you're selling. SOLD!

[TBF]

63. I carry cloth bags in my car and use them daily. They are much

sturdier as well. I think the plastic ones are useless and should be banned. The really annoying thing is that I sometimes have to beg store cashiers to use them. I have had to physically unpack their idiotic plastic bags and leave them laying on the counter when they insist on using them. It is ridiculous.

[Maestro]

65. I can't stand plastic bags

My family tries to use the cloth or paper bags as much as possible. We recycle the plastic bags we do use, but according to that presentation that is not very good either.

[GOPBasher]

67. Thank you for posting this!

This is very informative. I've bookmarked it and I'll be sure to use those stats in every conversation I have regarding this.

[fudge stripe cookays]

73. Thanks for posting!

I used to take them only because of the whole dog poop issue, but I found the little green ones that go with our scoop, and they break down after awhile.

So I'm trying to be good and switch over to cloth, but it's hard to remember. I like the thought of one poster who said she puts her keys on top of them to remember them. I'll try that!

[Lost-in-FL]

75. Thank you!!

[madmom]

76. We have a small mom and pop vegetable stand down the road from us, they work well there also

[catchnrelease]

80. For the produce bags

The Eco Bags company has some very thin cotton bags that are for replacing the plastic produce bags. They weigh nothing and can be washed. I just stick several in my canvas bag so I have some if I buy veggies, fruit,etc. (One checker even weighted a bag by itself to see how much to deduct from the weight of the produce I bought, but it turned out to be such a small amount, that if I'd deducted the weight of 3 or 4 of these bags, it would have amounted to a quarter.)

[pipi_k]

81. About four months ago

I looked through my extensive collection of plastic supermarket bags and decided, since I was running out of room and didn't want to just throw them out, that I would do something useful with them

I cut them into 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch strips, looped them together (the strips can also be tied end to end and give a different look to the finished product), and crocheted a handy little tote bag for carrying my crochet projects around. Voila...useful and sturdy item, no wastage of bags. If you have enough bags and patience, you can even crochet very large shopping bags that are reusable any number of times. When making the handles, I used a strong, thick cotton thread in addition to the plastic for reinforcement.

I've even gotten compliments on my bag :)

[fudge stripe cookays]

87. How cool is that??

Crafters rule!

:thumbsup:

[emilyg]

90. Very clever.

[eppur_se_muova]

91. If you can't see the video ... plastic bags kill wildlife ! (LINKS)

How plastic bags affect wildlife
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The real impact of plastic bag litter is felt on wildlife both in the marine environment and in rural areas.

Tens of thousands of whales, birds, seals and turtles are killed every year from plastic bag litter in the marine environment as they often mistake plastic bags for food such as jellyfish.

Plastic bags, once ingested, cannot be digested or passed by an animal so it stays in the gut. Plastic in an animal’s gut can prevent food digestion and can lead to a very slow and painful death.

As plastic bags can take up to 1000 years to break down, once an animal dies and decays after ingesting plastic, the plastic is then freed back into the marine environment to carry on killing other wildlife.

For more information on how plastic bags affect wildlife, please click on the following links:
http://www.planetark.com/campaignspage.cfm/newsid/62/ne...




Over 100,000 marine animals DIE every year
from PLASTIC entanglement!

The problem

Plastic bags are:

Made from petroleum, a nonrenewable resource.
A serious litter problem since they are lightweight and hard to contain (blow around).

Non-biodegradable, breaking into smaller particles BUT never fully disappearing.

Mistaken for food by marine animals (particularly sea turtles).

One of the most numerous items of litter along with cigarette butts and Styrofoam.

A major part of waste in our landfills.

http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-sea-tu...

Detailed info and pics at the links.