Across the world, shoppers use 500,000,000,000 to 1,000,000,000,000 single-use plastic bags per year.
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The use time of an average plastic bag is
12
minutes. Plastic bags pollute our waters, smother wetlands and entangle and kill animals. Plastic bags affect our health. As larger animals eat small plastic-laden creatures, the plastic works its way up the food chain until humans eat the those animals which ingested plastic. Most plastic contains harmful chemicals which can be unsafe for human consumption or use Plastic is non-biodegradable and is made from a non-renewable resource: oil. It takes 3,000,000 barrels of oil to produce the 19,000,000,000 plastic bags used annually in California. |
Today, plastic bags have been banned in over 25% of the world's countries. 9 countries have passed levies and fees on use, and 12 countries are considering bans or fees. In the U.S., 26 states have introduced legislation concerning plastic bag use.
Plastic bags are easy to replace. Use cloth bags, stainless steel water bottles, and wooden, glass, and metal substitutes.
To preserve our environment, what steps will you take to reduce plastic use?
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