Source: theguardian | Image: huffpost
Last year, Scotland took a bold step by imposing a law of charging 5 pence per bag at the stores. The move was introduced to discourage the use of plastic bags and the experiment proved fruitful with approximately 650 million fewer bags used across the country in just one year. The best part of this experiment was each 5 pence charged from the shoppers was donated to charitable organisations.
Most big grocery stores, such as ASDA has reported more than 80% drop in plastic bags use with mega grocery chain Sainsbury’s completely eliminating bags from their stores.
Why say NO to plastic bags?
- Damage to environment
Plastic bags are no doubt cheap and easy to use, but seldom do we think of their disadvantages. They are made from petrochemicals i.e non-renewable source of energy, and unlike paper, they cannot be recycled easily.
- Threat to animals and marine life
Since plastic bags are not bio-degradable, they take about 1000 years to decompose. They clog waterways and may get wrapped around marine animals. Stray animals often mistake them for food and once they are swallowed may make the animals suffocate or starve to death.
- Pollution and fumes
One of the many disadvantages of plastic bags is that they are non-renewable. It is not easy to recycle them hence, most of the times they are burnt to get rid of them. The majority of the rubbish present in the landfills is comprised of plastic bags only which spoils the landscape and is a recipe for disaster.
The Logical Indian team urges the citizens to use eco-friendly bags, such as jute bags or cotton bags. This will not only lead to a better environment but also reduce health issues for the coming generations.
