Bag: Plastics, like diamonds, are forever

In his recent letter (TNT, 1-18), the director of the American Progressive Bag Alliance left out key information. His one-sided defense was anything but informative or progressive.

Here are a few reasons why plastic bags aren’t good for our environment.

▪  They’re one of the biggest sources of litter, along with Styrofoam and cigarette butts.

▪  They’re not biodegradable, breaking into small particles that never fully disappear.

▪  Sea turtles and other marine creatures ingest them as food, which causes intestine blockages and death.

▪  Only 6.5 percent are recycled yearly.

▪  They ends up in landfills and take 1,000 years to decompose.

▪  They add to our demand for oil.

What can we do to help? Use cloth bags or ask for a paper bag because it holds up to six times more than a plastic bag. Ask local merchants to promote cloths bags. Participate in a community/beach cleanup.

An estimated 500 billion to one trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year. Italy, Rwanda, Bangladesh, California and many major cities around the world have already banned their use. Bans are being considered in additional countries and cities.

This story was originally published January 25, 2016 at 11:09 AM with the headline "Bag: Plastics, like diamonds, are forever."