Friday 9 September 2011

The Plastic Bag Pandemic: Step 1 - Admitting There Is A Problem

Bag monster
It's nothing new, we all know that each one of us uses crazy amount of plastic bags in a year.

It is a simple thing to do your part and ensure that at least a few less bags make into the landfills or become the nasty litter that we all have seen.

Only thing is, it's just so darn easy to say 'YUP!" when the cashier asks you if you need a bag. In fact it is a great trial to carry a cloth bag around the store with you, if the weight of it doesn't get you down, the embarrassment of knowing you are protecting the environment might just be your undoing.

Honestly though, it amounts to laziness - that's about it. Anyone can make a difference, but few will put in the minute extra it takes.

The thing is, if the average person uses 500 plastic bags in one year; by the time you have made it through 30 blissful shopping years, you will have used and trashed a whopping 15,000 plastic bags. And where do these bags end up? We all know it, but most people just pretend not to see.

DSCF4640
This mongoose is in the jungle of Sasan Gir, which happens to be the only home of Asiatic Lions: 


Lake and litter
We've all seen scenes like this.

Plastic bag
And I don't know about you, but when I finally get up the nerve to go scuba diving, this isn't what I'm hoping to see:

If you're already using reusable bags, I tip my hat to you. If you're not, maybe you'd be willing to think about starting. No one is going to blame you if you slip up every once in a while, but if you can use half the bags you normally would - well that's still 250 bags a year. (Give or take).

And an advantage for you: You don't need to worry about a can of beans squashing your big toe cause you overloaded a flimsy plastic bag!

Tomorrow we're going to talk about the options available for anyone who wants to curb their plastic bag problem - be sure to tune in!


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