Plastic Bags Argument Essay

In light of recent events, a question has arose concerning the use of plastic bags. Some people argue that plastic bags are detrimental to the environment, while others argue that outlawing the use of these bags is unfathomable. On Tuesday, September 30th, 2014 California became the first state in the U.S. to ban the use of single-use plastic bags after a bill was signed by California Governor Jerry Brown. Under this bill, plastic bags will slowly be phased out and will no longer be in use by 2016. But can one argue that this bill is simply irrational? In this essay, I will examine the different opinions of five various sources, in order to better answer the question of whether or not plastic bags should be banned. The first three of these

sources are entitled “Today’s Handy Carrier, Tomorrow’s Garbage,” “The Facts on Plastic Bags,” and “Dirty Old Bags.” The last two articles are entitled “Why Should We Not Ban Plastic Bags,” and “Plastic Bags Should Be Managed, Not Banned.” These articles offer different views on the question at hand and each contain their own compelling arguments.
One thing that each of these articles can agree on is the fact that plastic bags are nearly indestructible. Plastic bags are made from “film,” or thin sheets of plastic, which are derived from petroleum or natural gas. The article entitled “Dirty Old Bags” states that “long after today's shoppers have passed away and their bodies have turned to dust, their plastic bags will still lie in the soil, refusing to decay.” The average life span of a plastic bag is approximately 20 minutes, as measured by the average time it takes for a person to leave the grocery store, return home, and put the groceries away. After this, approximately 60 percent are reused as garbage bags or for another purpose, and the other 40 percent are thrown directly into the trash. The bags that are disposed of make up 28 percent of the garbage generated by volume and 7 percent by weight. Environmental groups suggest that plastic bags can remain intact for up to 1000 years, because the same composition that makes them durable also makes them far from degradable. Even after these bags make their way to a landfill to begin the long process of decomposing, many make their way out of the landfill and become litter. One landfill employs two to four people at each site whose sole job is to chase the 25,000 plastic bags that blow away each and every day.
Another thing that each of these articles can agree on is that plastic bags are strong pollutants and that they can be detrimental to wildlife and other animals. Kenya natives have resorted to transporting their items in gourds, animal horns, bull scrotums, and other similar objects. Kenyans refer to plastic bags as “flowers” because many of them get stuck in trees, causing the trees to appear as if they are blooming. Both in 1988 and 1998, two-thirds of the country of Bangladesh was submerged in water due to a failure in the drainage system. It was later discovered that plastic bags were the major cause of the drainage failure because these bags had made their way into the system and blocked it completely. In 2002, in light of these incidents, Bangladesh banned the use of plastic bags. Plastic bags have the ability to contaminate soil and water when not disposed of properly, and they can be lethal to animals of all kinds. Planet Ark, an international environmental group that has taken a leading role in the push to reduce plastic bag use, states that at least 100,000 birds, whales, seals, and turtles are killed by plastic bags each year worldwide. Marine animals often mistake the bags for jellyfish and consume them. In August of 2000, an eight-meter whale became stranded and died on a Cairns beach. Planet Ark stated that an autopsy found that the whale's stomach was tightly packed with six square meters of plastic, including many plastic bags. Many land animals also consume plastic bags. One farmer near South Wales, Australia performed an autopsy on one of his dead calves and found eight plastic bags in its stomach. This caused a loss of $500 for the farmer. Because plastic bags cannot be digested by an animal, they stay in their gut causing pain and certain death. When dead animals decay, the bags are freed and often eaten again by other animals for many years to come. It is a never-ending cycle. In addition, many birds become entangled in plastic bags and die of starvation.
Each of these articles agree that plastic bags are extremely harmful to the environment, but each also suggest that banning these bags may not be the answer to this epidemic. Two articles suggest that a tax should be placed on plastic bags. Ireland has become a country where carrying plastic bags has become socially unacceptable, similar to wearing a fur coat in the United States. In 2002, Ireland passed a 27 cent tax on plastic bags. This country has found the tax to be very successful as measured by a decrease in the use of plastic bags by 90-95 percent over a one-year period. Denmark experienced a similar decrease of 66 percent after introducing a plastic bag tax in 1994. “Today’s Handy Carrier, Tomorrow’s Garbage” suggests that the bags should just be reused. This article states that “plastic bags can be recycled into plastic wood that is used for decking, siding, park benches, among other things.”
The last two articles offer different viewpoints than the first three.

These articles suggest that plastic bags should not be banned because there are other solutions to the problem. “Why Should We Not Ban Plastic Bags” states that plastic bags are a very small problem compared to all other environmental problems that the world faces, and therefore, passing legislation on the use of plastic bags would be a waste of time and would not make a very large impact. Environmentalists instead prefer to spend their money and efforts on educating people and urging them to change their habits. This article also suggests that some people may see their lack of using plastic bags as their environmentally-friendly contribution to the world and will therefore overlook the larger issues at hand. “Plastic Bags Should Be Managed, Not Banned” examines how other countries are reacting to the plastic bag epidemic. China and Taiwan, for example, have begun imposing heavy fines on citizens that violate bans on plastic bags. Some countries have turned to biodegradable bags as a solution. These solutions, however, do not solve the issue according to this article. This article suggests a behavioral change, rather than a legislative change. Citizens are ignorant in the sense that they do not know how or where to properly dispose of these bags, and this article also suggests that placing a ban on plastic bags will be detrimental to the economy of the plastic industry. This article suggests better environmental education and management as a key solution to this

issue.
One thing is certain: plastic bags have a devastating effect on the environment, and can be detrimental to wildlife and other animals alike. This is a fact that is now universally recognized by environmental groups and governments. But is a ban on these everyday items a reasonable notion? California seems to believe so, however other countries are convinced that a decrease in the use of plastic bags will suffice. As a former grocery store cashier, I personally sent over 1 million plastic bags home with customers is just one year. These facts are very alarming to me, and I can see where something needs to be done to at least educate citizens about their impacts these bags have on the environment and hopefully decrease the existence of them. Otherwise, they will be left as a burden for our future generations.