There’s been a significant shift away from using plastic shopping bags. When you go to the grocery store these days, a wide array of recyclable shopping bags are available. This is good news and definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to protecting the earth. But why are plastic shopping bags bad for the environment?
1. THEY POLLUTE THE ENVIRONMENT
Plastic bags are non-biodegradable. This means that they cannot be decomposed. As a result, they go to the dump, where they sit and become part of the pollution issue we are facing with the earth.
2. THEY ARE A HAZARD TO ANIMALS
Animals who accidentally eat a plastic bag can end up choking when it gets stuck in their windpipe or food pipe. Likewise, plastic bags do terrible harm to our ocean life too. Fish, turtles and marine mammals can become tangled in the plastic. They can also eat the plastic which ultimately leads to them suffocating and drowning.
3. PLASTIC FACTORIES EMIT HARMFUL WASTE
When plastic is manufactured the waste generated is dumped into various water outlets like rivers. As a result, our water sources become polluted and this contamination can cause health risks.
4. THEY DEPLETE OUR FOSSIL FUELS
Most plastics are manufactured from petroleum which is a non-renewable fossil fuel. We need to protect our fossil fuels which include coal, petroleum and natural gas. Part of protecting the earth involves protecting these non-renewable fossil fuels and using them with care.
5. THEY CAN CAUSE HARMFUL GREENHOUSE GASES
When you burn plastic it releases harmful greenhouse gases into the air which is detrimental to our environment.
As you can see using plastic shopping bags is an important issue to address when it comes to protecting our environment. And we can all play our part by simply using material shopping bags or ones made of recyclable materials.
It’s such a simple decision, yet it will have a powerful impact on our environment!
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