Plastic Bags, Should They Be Banned, or At least Charged a Fee?

Photo Credit: Google Images 

Today, the average American shops for about 4 hours every single week(Financial Press Gazette). This includes clothes shopping, as well as grocery shopping. The items bought are single-use plastic bags for the most part. Is it worth it to ban, or at least charge a fee for the plastic bags that costs so much money to make?

My Opinion

Personally, I believe our beautiful planet is at stake with the amount of everyday pollution that goes on from many different aspects. Plastic bags just so happen to be one of the most harmful things to the environment in my opinion. They shouldn't even be charged a fee to use, I just believe they should be banned completely. I believe that it's the little things that help to make this planet a better place to live, I mean we live in it so why not keep it clean & healthy? 

What Can Be Done to Solve This?

There are a few methods that can be done to solve the problem of plastic bag usage. 

• You, as a shopper can always use reusable shopping bags.
• The clothing/grocery industry can start using alternative materials to make bags.

There is always a substitute. Don't let OUR planet rot because of you. 

THE DANGER!

 Photo Credit: teachpeace.com

Photo Credit bigislandnow.com

Photo Credit:nowandthen.ashp.cuny.edu

Plastic bags are such a danger to the environment; they are everywhere: on the street, polluting our oceans, EVERYWHERE! Since they are a form of pollution and litter, that means animals unfortunately get the bad end of the stick when they come across them, Animals usually eat plastic bags as if they're food and end up choking & eventually dying from them. Harmful chemicals such as BPA and phthalates also disrupt the environment and human society. 

Is It Worth It?

Not only are plastic shopping bags costly, but they are also extremely dangerous to the environment, as well. They're non-biodegradable and are made from oil. If you know the limited supply of oil we have recovered & have left, then you will surely see that plastic bag usage is basically wasting the one non-renewable resource we all depend on. 

Photo Credit: Plastics Display

The average use of a plastic bag is 12 MINUTES! Is it really worth it?

FACTS:

•  35 countries have banned the use of plastic bags.
• 9 countries have passed levies and fees on use of them.
• 12 countries are considering bans or fees
• 26 states in the 
US have introduced a form of legislation concerning plastic bag use.
• Only 1 to 2% of plastic bags in the USA end up getting recycled.
• The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of ocean.

Source: (Project Censored ),(envirosax.com)

Sources!

http://financialpressgazette.com/average-american-spends-a-whole-week-every-year-shopping/

teachpeace.com

http://www.projectcensored.org/the-top-25-index/

http://www.envirosax.com/plastic_bag_facts