What Are Plastic Bags: The Inconvenient Convenience?

Plastic Bags: The Inconvenient Convenience

Every year in America, 4.05 million tons of plastic bags, sacks, and wraps enter the waste management system. Shockingly, that number doesn’t take into account the billions of bags that never make it into the trash, all of which become unsightly and potentially dangerous debris that litter the country. It may seem convenient to use the plastic bags provided in most stores, until one considers all the inconvenient effects they have on the environment and the economy. The current pollution epidemic can be quelled if the American people react seriously and make an effort to reduce their plastic bag reliance. By bringing a reusable tote when running errands, citizens can reduce the wasting of resources,

Though consumers rarely pay directly for plastic bags, the plastics industry requires substantial amounts of capital and copious amounts of raw materials. The common shopping bag is manufactured from a combination of petroleum products and natural gasses; both of which are valuable, finite resources. It takes 12 million barrels of petroleum oil to produce the estimated 100 billion plastic bags that are used in America annually. In an era where America is attempting to rely on clean renewable energy, the production of plastic bags directly negates those efforts. Committing to using a reusable bag for shopping ultimately preserves fossil fuels and saves energy. While a canvas tote can last for over a year, a plastic bag’s effectiveness rarely lasts over a few days. The cost of producing plastic bags is not worth their extremely limited

During the 2016 International Coastal Cleanup Day, over 400 thousand grocery bags were collected, and yet billions more lay scattered in and across the ocean. Enormous quantities of microplastic, that are consumed by microorganisms and enter the foodchain, have been recorded along most coastlines. Also troubling, are the giant masses of accumulated plastic seen floating in open ocean; the largest is thought to be twice the size of Texas. These plastic islands are reportedly leaching chemicals that contribute to ocean acidification and reproductive issues in wildlife. An attempt to prevent the spread of plastic pollution is being attempted. However, oceanic waste removal often causes tremendous economic strain on local communities. A single coastal city, San Francisco, spends approximately $8.5 million dollars annually cleaning up these plastic bags. This is a substantial amount of time and money that could be invested elsewhere, if people take a stand against plastic bags and invest in reusable