Why You Should Always BYOB

Plastics are made from non- renewable natural resources such as crude oil, gas and coal. When oil, gas and coal are used to produce plastic bags, they emit dangerous greenhouse gases. The burning of plastics also creates emissions of toxic gases, dioxins and heavy metals. Greenhouse gases contribute to worldwide climate change. Scientists predict that such climate change will impact on all our lives, especially in the areas of agriculture and health.

An un-estimable number of our abandoned plastic bags are swept by the wind, catch on the leaves and thorns of trees and become twisted and trapped. However plastics do not biodegrade, they take up to 1,000 years to photodegrade, breaking down into smaller and smaller toxins that contaminate the soil, waterways and oceans, and enter the food chain when ingested by animals.

The High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) plastic shopping bags used in supermarkets and other retailers can be recycled by taking them back to the supermarket for collection.

Remember, Plastic bags cannot be placed in your kerbside recycling bin. They are the main contaminant of kerbside recycling. For more information about what not to recycle, visit this recent article.

We can all cut down the use of plastic bags significantly by bringing our own bags.

by Local Green Circle, August, 2009.