Effects That Plastic Bags Have on the Environment
Plastic bags, particularly the kind that are used by grocery stores and other retailers, present an environmental hazard. Like any modern convenience, there are repercussions when people don't act responsibly and leave their plastic bags to blow into nature.
Other People Are Reading
-
Litter
-
Plastic bags are durable and long lasting. But those qualities that make them good for carrying people's purchases make them hazards as well. Most plastic bags will end up in landfills where they won't decompose. If plastic bags are left out, they will eventually find their way into rivers and streams, clogging up water flows and damaging ecosystems because they do not degrade.
Animals
-
Plastic bags are responsible for a large number of animal deaths every year, according to Buzzle.com. Animals such as turtles, whales, penguins, and dolphins often mistake the bags for food and eat them. Either the animals choke to death attempting to eat the plastic bag, or they die once it's actually in their stomachs. The added danger is that since plastic bags are so enduring, they may kill multiple animals.
-
Petroleum
-
Plastic bags are produced from a petroleum base. Since a higher demand for petroleum products leads to more drilling and a nonrenewable resource being used up even faster, plastic bags are a drain not only on the environment, but on the economy as well.
Burning
-
If a person burns plastic bags, then all they've done is trade one pollutant for another. When plastic bags are burned, they melt. In melting, they release toxic fumes. These can be hazardous to people in the immediate vicinity, as well as any animals or plant life that are nearby.
Prevention/Solution
-
This doesn't mean that the dangers posed by plastic bags is irreversible, however. Plastic bags, like most other kinds of plastic, can be recycled. Additionally, if people stop using plastic bags and instead use paper bags or reusable tote bags for their purchases, then eventually plastic bags will no longer be necessary.
-
