In Australia good people now carry green bags to the supermarket and come away with their groceries in the green bags – rather than plastic bags.
I inspected my ‘Go Green’ bags this evening and found they are all made in China from polypropylene.
I googled ‘Go Green’ and discovered that 10c of every Go Green Bag is donated to the go Green Environment Fund which supports initiatives of Clean Up Australia, Landcare and Planet Ark. I wonder how much these charities will make this year out of the initiative?
There is a global campaign against plastic bags that seems to be really gathering momentum. I have learnt from WorldWatch that:
“Plastic bags start as crude oil, natural gas, or other petrochemical derivatives, which are transformed into chains of hydrogen and carbon molecules known as polymers or polymer resin.
The first plastic ‘baggies’ for bread, sandwiches, fruits, and vegetables were introduced in the United States in 1957.
In January 2002, the South African government required manufacturers to make plastic bags more durable and more expensive to discourage their disposal-prompting a 90-percent reduction in use.
Ireland instituted a 15c-per-bag tax in March 2002, which led to a 95-percent reduction in use.
In the early 1990s, the Ladakh Women’s Alliance and other citizens groups led a successful campaign to ban plastic bags in that Indian province, where the first of May is now celebrated as Plastic Ban Day. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Philippines, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom also have plans to ban or tax plastic bags.
Supermarkets around the world are voluntarily encouraging shoppers to forgo plastic bags-or to bring their own bags-by offering a small per-bag refund or charging extra for plastic.”
This is all very interesting information. But I am also keen to understand the extent of the environmental harm caused by plastic bags and the overall environmental benefit in switching to, for example, ‘Go Green’ bags.
Can someone provide me with some links or references?
I am particularly interested in any studies that quantify the impact of plastic bag use on the environment and the benefits of switching away from plastic bans?
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD has worked in industry and government. She is currently researching a novel technique for long-range weather forecasting funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation.