What are 3 reasons that the U.S. should ban plastic bags?

Question

Do people agree with me that they should be banned?

Answer 1

Wow, that long comment that was just posted, that is exactly the attitude that would make it so hard to implement a healthier change in a situation like this. I do agree that plastic bags should be banned, and I think the fact that most people plain depend on them for every menial task as in that previous post is an example of how much of a difference it would make. All it would take is just a little sacrifice and willingness to change from people themselves, that would eventually make a huge difference overall.

     We can already see that it's possible, like in other countries that are already using alternatives to plastic bags. I think it isn't difficult to just throw a couple reusable canvas totes in the back of your car or strap them to your bicycle seat, for one, and as for the high rise dilemma, there are solutions. High rises could possibly have their own in building composting system or garbage disposal, or, at the very least, a little community effort within the buildling and I'm sure a convenient solution could be thought up. There are always ways to solve problems if we're willing to be creative about it. And don't think cats and dogs would mind if their p**p went into a biodegradable bag rather than a plastic one, and plus, bodily waste like that is better off being composted back into the earth rather than sitting in a bag filling it up with gas.

And the main issue is not *only* with landfills and the plastic bags that are in them. For one, so many bags don't even make it to the landfills, but just turn out as litter on the street. They can kills animals, easily. I rescued a bird that was suffocating in an old bread bag that was left on the street one. There was also that article up there about the 800kg of plastic bags found in that whale?! That's just crazy.

They can clog up drainage. Kids can choke on them. They're toxic if burned. They're made from petroleum, a resource there is already a major war for as it is, and when you think about it, if we use these bags only for one trip and then toss em, why can't we just use something reusable or environmentally safe instead? I think bamboo based bags are a great idea for and alternative, especially since bamboo grows so quickly. It wouldn't be like switching to bags made of paper, which that I do agree would be an ironically poor alternative to plastic. And of course there are all sorts of other materials available...

  Anyways..  I think all it takes at first is little changes, and a willingness to not be lazy and just *be fine* with the situation, or count up the inconveniences it would cost you instead to make a difference. And I don't think it's fair to say a world without plastic bags "would not work" because it's already happening in some places and it's successful so far, and healthier for everyone.

Sorry, one last thing, about "protecting the garbage men from germs"...  I don't think we should have other toxic products in our homes anyways; most powerful chemical cleaning products do more harm than good to us, and can be easily switched with natural cleaners, which are just as efficient. And stuff like cat p**p, cat p**p is all over home owners' houses anyways; its on your cat's butt and paws that it puts everywhere before it gets to cleaning them, it probably doesn't make the least bit of difference, and that said, there's got to be something a bag can be made of that's environmentally safe that would contain the germs anyhow.

Answer 2

3 reasons:

1. There are perhaps billions of plastic bags floating around the world's oceans. These may be mistaken for food (such as jellyfish) by large marine creatures (such as sea turtles and cetaceans). If ingested, they can block airways and digestive tracts, leading to death.

e.g. "Several years ago a minke whale was found on a Scottish beach with 800kg of plastic bags in its stomach".

(http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_d...

2. Dangerous to humans: "about 25 children in the United States suffocate each year due to plastic bags, most under the age of one year". (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_bag...

3. I don't want archaeologists of the future to think of this time as the Plastic Bag Age: "The biggest problem with plastic bags is that they do not readily break down in the environment, with estimates for the time it takes them to decompose ranging from 20 to 1000 years".

(http://www.abc.net.au/science/features/b...

Hope this helps. :)

Answer 3

because most get thrown away in our landfills, it takes a long time for plastic to decompose and because its just being wasteful! I AGREE

Answer 4

To completely do away from them would send some people into over reaction ranting.  I hate those plastic bags myself and if one comes into my house I send it to be recycled with my plastic goods. There is another country that made the move to do away from them and what they did worked.

Ireland put forth  plastic bag tax, for every bag a store gave away a tax was charge to the consumer of 22 euro-cents, that about 29 cent per bag.  All tax collected went to a green fund set up to help there environment.  This worked, people choose to bring their own bags and cut plastic bag consumption by 90% in one year.

So if done in a simliar way I say yes, our government needs to put forth such a tax to be used for a green fund.  Most people will not change unless it starts to effect their comfort and wallets.  Those rich enough not to care will still at least be giving, just in another way.

Answer 5

No, they should not be banned!! See answer #1. If ppl want to use their own cloth bags, then fine.

Besides, they look good on tree limbs and fences! Did you know that plastic bags are the New Mexico State Flower?

Answer 6

Does anyone have a complete list of all the things and activities that the "progressives" want to ban?

Throw out an unborn child---that should be your choice. Throw out a plastic bag---well, that should not be your choice.

Just leave us alone.

Answer 7

No.I don't like everything in life they have their place.Are you aware people living in high rises can not Compost their garbage?What are they supposed to do with it? Pile it up in a corner?You want to worry about something have you ever thought about clean,I mean clean drinking water?Well those folks garbage goes into the system to be cleaned from their sink disposal.Now 300 million people do that how clean do you think the water really is?No amount of filtering will get rid of it,chemicals either,because then you will have more health problems.Yes,I see the problems with the landfills I am nor stupid,however I do believe when plastic is gone real disease will rear up and there will be no cure.All because we want to save the landfill which you wouldn't live on anyway or ever see.What you have is an idea on paper which never works in the real world.Sounds good,sounds reasonable but what costs?Are you the garbage man who has to handle all the trash?Well I respect mine and he deserves all the protection from germs I can give him.I use plastic bags for inside kitchen garbage,bathroom, picking up dog p**p,the occasionally dead bird and anything else that saves the environment even if that means putting it in a plastic bag.

Answer 8

A lot of stores are now selling resuable green shopping bags for $1.00. If you agree that the plastic should be recycled, then buy those bags and bring them back with you every time you shop.

Answer 9

We went to plastic bags because the Sierra Club and enviromentalist complained about all the trees being cut down for paper bags. Every time you want to ban something the alternative is then banned so make up your minds please.

Answer 10

1.  In landfills, which are anaerobic, there is no degredation of any kind of these bags.

2.  The plastics (bags included) have not ever been destroyed - they just break up into smaller and smaller rpieces and end up in ocean where sea animals suffocate.

3. Anything made with petroleum should be banned in my opinion.  There are viable alternatives for all of it.

I want to broach the subjects other posters have brought up.  The cheap bags stores are selling is polypropylene.  They are considered biodegradeable, but very slowly.  Meaning, you will still see them in our lifetime.  

Jute, Bamboo, Canvas - all good, long lasting options.

Is it your right to use them - yes, for now, but it will not be soon.  Cities are already banning them - Austin, TX has it on the books to phase them out.  Whole Foods will stop using them on Earth Day 2008.  It is great that you use them as trach bags (because they are being used twice), however, they still cause problems.

As for all trash bags being banned - yes, they will as well.  There are alternatives that are easily compostable.  You wouldn't have leaking problems if you composted.

And as for hygiene, I assure you my children and I are clean, healthy and you would not be able to tell if you saw us on the street that we use no plastics in our kitchen or bathrooms, no personal hygiene products that contain "fragrance", or that we only have one bag of trash a week for a family of 6.  

And no, I do not spend ALL my time on it either.

As for choice, you choose where you live, whom you marry, how many children you have, where to shop, where to work, what to watch on television, what to read, what to think.  I really feel that giving up the plastic bags that produce toxins when burned, never completely distinigrate, kill children and animals, a leading cause of cancer to the workers that produce them, not mention you the consumer is small in comparison.

Answer 11

Sorry, I do not agree. We are now getting a new kind of plastic bag at out store that is green and much better for the environment. If we stopped using all plastic bags, then so many people would turn to paper. Paper causes more trees to come down. It's a vicious cycle. In Europe, I have seen them use little net bags which seem pretty cool. Maybe we can look at that. So until we come up with a better solution other then the canvas bags, We must keep plastic. Perhaps in the future, but not now.

Answer 12

1.  Plastic is made from petroleum

2.  They are difficult to recycle

3.  You use a plastic bag for minutes, while they will sit in a landfill for virtually ever.

Get ready, large cities like San Francisco are beginning to charge you for plastic bags.  Many stores give you a discount for every canvas bag you bring with you.  It's quite simple folks!!!  Get with the program!

Answer 13

I agree, plastic bags are made from petroleum,We already have enough wars over oil .How many people do you think actually recycle them? You don't have to use paper bags either. There is a better solution, canvas bags I bought mine for less than a buck! I use them for everything not just groceries.