The Effects Of Plastic Bags On Environment – How many plastic bags do you use for errands each week? What is every month? The average American uses more than 218 pounds of plastic per year.

Now, multiply that number by the total population of the US. There is no doubt that single-use plastic bags have become a commodity in our daily lives. It is cheap, convenient and always available wherever you go.

The Effects Of Plastic Bags On Environment

However, plastic has become the cause of environmental pollution and destruction of wildlife. Environmentalists have warned of the toxic link between plastic bags and the environment. Unfortunately, many people still do not understand the environmental impact of plastic bags.

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That’s why we created this article as a wake-up call for anyone who still uses plastic. Read on to know more.

Plastic bags are convenient and easy to store because they are very light. However, this is why plastic ends up in our forests and oceans. Unfortunately, this means that any wildlife will suffer.

Land animals such as squirrels and other small animals can be caught in plastic bags. You may have seen videos online of various animals entangled in plastic. Unfortunately, these videos represent only a small percentage of the total number of animals affected by plastic.

Many animals mistake plastic for food and suffocate or starve. This creates a ripple effect in the natural food chain. When predators cannot find prey, our natural ecosystems weaken and collapse.

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Anyone remember the “save the turtles” trend of 2019? Despite the great uproar, marine pollution remains a major problem. Many have switched to metals and bamboo in an effort to reduce plastic pollution.

However, plastic bags still find their way into our waterways and oceans. Sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish. Unfortunately, this has cost many of these sea creatures their lives.

This is not limited to sea turtles. Sharks, fish and seagulls are starving because of plastic pollution.

Plastic debris has been dumped in our oceans, creating tiny islands of garbage. The best known example is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

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Many people are not aware of the effects of plastic on their health. Plastic bags contain chemicals that can be harmful to human health when heated. Bisphenol-A, a chemical used to make plastic bags, can cause asthma, ulcers and some cancers.

Think about it; We often store our groceries in plastic bags. We consume drinks through plastic straws and bottles. Many fast food chains and convenience stores offer quick meals in plastic containers.

Pregnant women exposed to high concentrations of BPA can give birth to children with respiratory problems. Children have less lung capacity and are more likely to develop asthma. Studies also suggest that children are more prone to respiratory and respiratory tract infections.

BPA mimics estrogen, which can pose a risk to hormonal health. Some studies have shown that women with higher BPA levels had fewer eggs. Men also have low sperm count.

Single Use Plastic

Unfortunately, not enough studies have been done on BPA. For this reason, it is unclear how much BPA affects human reproductive health.

The reality is that plastic bags are reusable. When you get a plastic bag, you can reuse it for your next shopping trip. The problem is that not enough people practice it.

People accumulate more and more plastic bags with each shopping trip. When they’ve had enough, they collect all their shopping bags and dump them into another large plastic trash bag. This is why so much plastic accumulates in our landfills.

Add to this the fact that plastic takes anywhere from 20-500 years to decompose. This will depend on the composition of the plastic and environmental factors such as exposure to sunlight, whether it is in water or on land. As plastic breaks down, it releases more toxic chemicals into the environment.

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Even when plastic breaks down, it breaks down into tiny plastic particles. These are what we call microplastics and they contaminate our soil, waterways and wildlife habitats.

Plastic bags are also difficult to recycle because they get stuck in machinery. As a result, less than 1% of the world’s total plastic waste is actually recycled.

If we can’t recycle plastic waste, where does it go? The sad truth is that it ends up in our landfills. The space it uses grows.

Some have tried to solve the problem by burning plastic waste. Unfortunately, this has proven to do more harm than good. Burning plastics releases harmful toxins into the air.

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Landfills often contain hectares of plastic waste, which continues to emit greenhouse gases as it decomposes. Even the production of plastic shopping bags contributes to global climate change.

Plastics contain gas and oil, which are non-renewable resources. These sources contain harmful chemicals including, but not limited to:

The only way to stop plastic pollution is to stop using it. Currently, scientists are still thinking of solutions to dispose of the existing plastic waste. However, we can do our part by making small changes in our lives to limit the amount of new waste.

Switching to reusable canvas bags can have a huge impact on our world. Also, it is more durable and environmentally friendly than plastic.

Environmental Impact Of Plastic Bags

Natural gas, coal, and oil are all finite resources. These fossil fuels are used to power our homes, vehicles and factories. As mentioned before, we also use them to produce plastic.

Not only do they release toxic gases, but non-renewable resources are expensive due to their volatility. A good example is the rise in fuel prices depending on the state of the economy. Since they are a finite resource, when they are gone, there is no way to get them back.

This is why more and more people are switching to solar energy. Solar energy is effective in supplying electricity to homes. It’s clean, limitless, and can have a huge impact on improving our environmental health.

Fossil fuels can only be found underground. Companies must mine and drill into the ground to collect fossil energy for production purposes. This process alone releases harmful toxins that cause greenhouse gases.

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However, it causes permanent damage to the earth. For example, coal mining can destroy forests and natural habitats. Oil spills can contaminate our water supply and end up in our oceans, harming even more marine life.

Plastic is cheap, but only when you first buy it. It costs 17 cents to clean a plastic bag. As a result, taxpayers spend $88 a year to clean up plastic bag waste.

Not even accounting for other plastic waste like plastic containers and bottles. Cities and other jurisdictions spend millions of dollars maintaining their landfills. Much of that money is spent on cleaning up pollution from landfills.

This is another reason why eco-friendly reusable bags are better than plastic bags. These bags contain natural materials and some upcycled materials. You only need to buy it once and you can use it for a lifetime.

Impact Of Plastic Wastes On Climate Change

We mentioned earlier that plastic finds its way into our waterways. The unfortunate truth is that many consumers are irresponsible when it comes to littering. Many people dump their waste into rivers or the wind carries their waste into natural habitats.

Many countries in the world struggle with flooding during cyclones and typhoons. Nigeria, Ghana, Indonesia, Bangladesh and the Philippines are just some of the countries affected by plastic waste.

When it rains heavily, the water cannot flow through the drainage system. Due to this, the water stays on the road and flows into the houses. Floods caused by plastic pollution are also polluted.

When it rains, plastic and other waste materials get mixed up. It creates a breeding ground for germs, bacteria, infectious and deadly diseases. As a result, floods become a health problem for the people of nearby areas.

Harmful Effects Of Plastic Bags Causing Environmental Pollution

It is clear that plastic bags and the environment are not a good match. Plastic poses a threat to humans and animals throughout its lifetime. Take this as a sign to make smart and sustainable decisions before it’s too late.

Switching to green, solar power is good for the environment and your wallet. If you’re looking for sustainable options in Texas, you’ve come to the right place. Chariot Energy offers some of the best solar buyback plans in Texas, sign up with us today and learn more about your options. Plastic bags – oh, the convenience! However, with their convenience comes a series of negative consequences for the environment. First of all, plastic bags are very difficult to recycle. You may find it surprising that there are no restrictions on how to use the universal recycle symbol… so even if you buy plastic bags with three arrows going round, the material of that plastic bag doesn’t mean anything. is

Reusable. In fact, most plastic bags collected by recycling companies cannot be recycled and end up sitting in landfills for hundreds of years. That’s a bit annoying, isn’t it?

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