Plastic bags pollution pdf

They were impressed with my passion and helped with getting the word out to their base. Initially, I got quite a few signatures. I was hoping for about 5, Then it really took off! Social media was a blessing to get my message out and talk to supporters. I was able to use Twitter, message on Facebook and e-mail. I was not alone. I heard from a retail employee who was disgusted by the amount of bags she gives out on a daily basis. She had also been writing letters to our politicians.

Soon, I had my first interview and then it snow balled into more. Once people knew that this was about political lobbying, we got even more support. The Governor has yet to make a decision, but hearing from folks around the country and coming together as a team might sway his decision.

My name is Abby and I am a student in Grayslake, Illinois. As a seventh grader, I am required to start a C. It is a two year project with a goal to better the world we live in, positively impact our environment and community and show all that we have learned in the nine years at an environmentally focused school. I chose trying to get the Village of Grayslake to ban plastic shopping bags. I wanted to do this because I love animals and I saw a picture of a sea bird with a plastic bag around its neck.

Soon, my school project led me to more information on the dangers of plastic bags, a better understanding of my government and a feel for what activism is about.

It started with research —like all projects do —and contacting other towns that have had similar bans. I wrote a research paper, as well as letters to editors of local papers and politicians. The environmental issue surrounding plastic bags is more complex than just littering and the harm they cause animals.

One day I studied my local grocery store for two hours counting how many leave just one checkout lane. There were plastic bags used, some with only one item in them! Finding out that many communities, states and countries were successfully banning the bags, I was excited. I thought it would be easy to convince my village to ban bags with numbers, pictures and examples.

It would be an exciting project to convince the adults that we wanted to ban the bag! I even contacted a video producer who made an awesome video called Plastic State of Mind. Just as I was beginning to start, it suddenly became an issue about choice. The Illinois legislature passed SB, a Senate bill that would bar any community from banning plastic bags, in June How do I get people to listen?

My project just seemed to grow more difficult. Stay tuned for what happens next. Despite what cashiers think about my physique and general athletic capabilities, I swear I can carry my bagel and coffee the five blocks from the deli to my office. Plenty of non-eco-heroes decline plastic bags at checkouts every day.

But should they even have the choice? Plastic bags are recyclable! By Kasia Broussalian. Makers span the entire spectrum, from traditional markets such as Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and even Kmart, to luxury designers and trendy clothing stores, such as J.

Crew and Rebecca Taylor. As an alternative to plastic bags, reusable cloth bags are promoted by many environmentalists as going a long way towards relieving bulging landfills and city dumps. While the reusable cloth bag first became popular as a means of carrying groceries, women lately have taken to sporting them in addition to their primary handbag as a means of storing separate shoes, gym clothes, books, and the like.

However, there is some concern in the industry that reusable cotton or canvas bags could actually be more environmentally harmful then their plastic counterparts. Do you think that they release more Co2 emissions then the now-shunned plastic bags during their production?

Please comment below. Have you ever stood in line at the grocery store and counted how many folks are using reusable grocery bags instead of paper or plastic?

I have noticed a significant increase in the amount of people using reusable bags over the past few years. Can you imagine a day when no one asks you paper or plastic? Some teens in Texas can! The ECoppell Club has dedicated itself to helping the environment by offering free cloth bags to residents of Coppell, TX. The club began in September with the goal of eliminating plastic bags from the Coppell area.

They started with Coppell with the hope of eventually replacing plastic bags in United States and even the world! Doing their own leg work, ECoppell collected statistics of cloth bags vs. The students compiled their statistics by standing outside three major food retailers making notes of people with cloth bags and people with plastic bags as they left the retailer. To help achieve this goal, the members are distributing free cloth bags to the community. The club members went door-to-door and gave presentations at various activities to raise money to purchase the cloth bags.

ECoppell members have garnered support from the local community and businesses. We can all help support teens who are making a difference. I have been using canvas grocery bags for years now, they are a lot easier to carry and never break.

We can all make a difference by kicking plastic bags to the curb! Find out more about reducing, reusing and recycling. One day in my Global Environmental Issues class, a professor showed us a video on the floating island of plastic in the Pacific Ocean, commonly called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

The garbage pile, which is nearly double the size of Hawaii, is known as the Great Pacific Garbage. This chemical is found in plastic food cans and water bottles. When the chemical bonds weaken, BPA is released and normally leaches into your food and water.

According to the World Health Organization, when pregnant women are exposed to high concentrations of Phthalates and BPA, which are chemical compounds found in plastic, they may give birth to children with lung problems. These children may also be at high risk of developing asthma later in life. According to the New York University School of Medicine, this problem contributes heavily in the outbreak of childhood obesity and diabetes.

It has also been linked to kidney and heart complications. Certain chemicals used in the manufacturing of plastic bags, especially BPA, act in the same way as oestrogen. In the long run, these chemicals may interfere with hormonal balance in women and affect reproduction. Moreover, studies have linked BPA to breast cancer in animals. This chemical has also been associated with thyroid issues and neurologic disorders in humans. While plastic-related chemicals largely affect women and children, men are also at risk.

According to a study by the World Health Organization, men who are often in contact with phthalates and BPA have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. These chemicals can also undermine their reproductive health. The plastic bags in the dumpsite will normally release chemicals that seep into the ground, ending into the groundwater reservoirs. Then, the detrimental effects of plastics would be passed through the ground to our bodies through the plants we consume and the water we drink.

While many of us believe that groundwater is safe for drinking, the truth is far from that. Therefore, avoid drinking groundwater unless it has been treated for human consumption. Otherwise, you will be ingesting a lot of toxic substances.

Plastic bags are very popular with retailers and consumers because they are cheap, strong, lightweight and water resistant for carrying goods as well as some food. It is dangerous for human, plant and animal life. The main issue with plastic arises when used plastics are disposed off. Degradation of plastics takes 50 years to an estimated one million years. There are rules passed by the governments, not to use plastic bag whose thickness is less than 40 microns.

But there is no proper monitoring over this. About 60 - million barrels of oil are needed every year to make plastics around the world. This paper deals with effective uses of plastic which are helpful for the prevention of environmental disaster in near future. Key Words: Over consumption, disposal, biodegradation, environmental pollution, manual clean up, plastic consuming microorganisms. Introduction Plastic plays a critical role in the way present society runs and functions. Without the use of plastic products, it would be more difficult for people to conveniently access medical treatment, ship certain materials across state borders, or make a quick cup of coffee in the morning.

There are various ways in which plastic affects everyday lives. Most countries have banned the usage of plastic bags due to the high degree of toxicity they come with and most citizens can understand it. But people seldom do not use plastic bags during marketing. Sellers voluntarily offer plastic bags and buyers do not refuse to use them. Thus, ban on plastic bags is hardly executed. Administrative power and regulations fail due to market forces and consumer demand.

That may explain why the plastic bag was once branded the worst invention of the 20th century because it causes worldwide pollution. A new term "white pollution," coined to describe the unsightly tumbleweed of plastic bags polluting the whole world. Use of Plastic i. Plastic Packaging: Plastic makes a quality packaging material that gives products the protection they need because of its flexibility to strength, durability, water resistance, size and shape.

Food is often kept in plastic packages to help preserve flavour and provide convenience when storing and transporting. Building and Construction: The building and construction industry is one of the nation's largest consumers of plastics second only to packaging industry. Windows, doors, flooring, gutters, piping, insulation and plumbing fixtures - these are just some of the examples of how plastic is used for constructing both the interior and exterior of homes and buildings.

Plastic can be easy to install and transport, making it a cost-effective material that is incredibly welcomed in many places. Around the House: Many of the items that are used on a daily basis are made out of plastic. From desktop computer to hair dryer, the coffee maker to the container, plastic is what keeps home running smoothly every day. Many toys are made with plastic parts, and the smoke detector that keeps family safe also consists of plastic materials.

Harmful Effects of Plastics i. Environmental Pollution: Plastic products are responsible for causing pollution, killing wildlife, and using up the precious resources of the earth. Plastic agricultural film waste remaining in a wide area of the soil and accumulating over a long period of time, causing the soil to harden and affecting the crops' absorption of nutrients and water. Consequently, it leads to a reduction in crop outputs.

Once plastic is used, it finds its way into waterways, rivers and seas. When they are burnt, they infuse the air with toxic gases. If these toxic gases are inhaled, there will be harmful effects on human body.

Many of the chemicals used in large volumes to produce plastics are highly toxic. Some chemicals, like benzene and vinyl chloride, are known to cause cancer in humans; many tend to be gases and liquid hydrocarbons, which readily vaporize and pollute the air.

Many are flammable and explosive. Even the plastic resins themselves are flammable and have contributed to numerous chemical accidents. The production of plastic emits substantial amounts of toxic chemicals e. Many of the toxic chemicals released in plastic production can cause cancer, birth defects, damage the nervous system, blood, kidneys and immune systems. These chemicals can also cause serious damage to ecosystems. Petroleum products are diminishing and getting more expensive day by day.

Petroleum is vital for our modern way of life. It is necessary for energy requirements - for factories, transport, heating, lighting etc.

Without viable alternative sources of energy yet on the horizon, if the supply of petroleum would be turned off, it would lead to, practically the entire world grinding to a halt. About 60 - million barrels of oil are needed to make plastic products every year around the world. Also, because they come from heating oil, the production process put out harmful emissions i.

This precious, non-renewable resource should not be wasted on producing plastic products. Plastic bag pollution in marine water bodies is one of the biggest problems faced by people today. Plastic bags do more than just polluting water; they choke wildlife, get stuck to ship propellers and get wrapped around engines. Visual pollution: Once they are used, most bags go into landfill, or rubbish tips.

Each year, more and more bags are ending up littering the environment. The most important thing to know about plastic bags is that they don't decompose and they take up permanent space.