Plastic Bags and Pollution

Does my handbag match my outfit?
A common question.

What about: how does my plastic bag match my clothes?

I’ve not heard this before. But plastic bags are the most common bags in the world.

Over the last 50 years, plastic bags and pollution have gone from fame to lame. Let’s take a closer look.

Next week

Plastic bags and pollution are a major problem for our planet.
A special day exists: International Plastic Bag Free Day, on 3rd July.

History

1933: the company behind Perspex conducted an experiment that failed but created a white, waxy substance — the start of plastic.
1965: the first plastic shopping bag was patented by Celloplast in Sweden. It reached the US in 1979.
Plastic bags were once printed with slogans like “The sack of the future.”

Facts

Five trillion plastic bags are produced every year.
They are used for minutes but pollute for a thousand years.
Plastic doesn’t break down; it breaks apart into smaller pieces. These become microplastics, found everywhere and in everything.
Plastic bags and pollution contribute significantly to the global microplastics problem.

Bans

2002: Bangladesh bans plastic bags as they clog drainage pipes, which are crucial during floods.
2015: the EU implements The Plastic Bags Directive. Most European countries have banned free single-use plastic bags or added a cost.

Progress on plastic pollution

2019: the EU implements a directive for 10 single-use plastics, including plastic bags.
The Global Plastics Treaty will be in place by the end of 2024 to tackle plastic bags and pollution.
Earth Day launched the Planet vs. Plastics campaign, aiming to reduce plastic production by 60% by 2040.

What can we do?

Decline a plastic bag when offered.
Bring your own bags.
If you have a plastic bag, keep using it for as long as possible. Use it for shopping, as a bin liner, or for shoes when travelling.
Join clean-up events or do your own clean-up.
Sign petitions to stop fossil fuel expansion and reduce plastic bags and pollution.

Recycling

Plastic bags are a nightmare to recycle. They can malfunction recycling machines.
Plastic can only be recycled a few times before it becomes too degraded.
Plastic bag recycling policies vary. Often they can’t be placed in household recycling bins.
Take them to participating stores instead. Check local guidelines to know where to bring them.

Think about what you can do with the plastic bags in your home to reduce plastic bags and pollution.

…And if you want to read more about what I do in the climate space, then please do check out my services.

Happy Friday!

Sources: Plastic Oceans & MIT Technology Review, The World Counts, UNEP, Science Focus, EUR-Lex, WWF, Recycle Now, EC Environment