Going to the food store and buying some milk would seem, to the untrained eye, a simple enough task; the aisles are organized by product, bags for your purchase are supplied, so all you really need to do is pay. There is something changing about grocery stores in the past half decade or so: reusable bags have been being sold at the checkout counters. No, this isn’t some sneaky way to get consumers to pay for colorful bags instead of using the free ones handed out; it’s a stab at an environmental problem that not enough people are taking action on. When asked to choose “paper or plastic”, the cashier is asking a trick question, for the right answer is “neither”. While the majority of shoppers continue to believe that paper bags are the more environmentally friendly choice to choosing plastic, they too are mistaken; not only do paper bags take more energy to make, but they also take up approximately five times more landfill space. This is no excuse to merely use plastic bags, however. The rising problem of plastic harming our world is shown on just about every beach and ocean in the world. Even when thrown away, plastic bags are so light that it is easy for them to just blow into the oceans or other areas where they then harm and endanger animals. Plastic not only chokes said animals, but it also begins to break down inside their stomachs, causing the harmful chemicals used to make the bags to enter their digestive tract. This same reaction occurs when plastic ends up in the oceans and is not eaten right away; as the bag biodegrades, these same chemicals are released into the ocean where marine animals then swallow or breathe them in. While at the beach, it may not appear that there are many of these dangerous and deathly bags lying around; in fact, it may seem like this is an overreaction. Proof of just how many bags end up in the oceans is shown in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (that’s right, it even has its own name), which is approximately the size of Texas, containing 3.5 million tons of trash. Its main contributor? Plastic bags that are either not properly disposed of, or are blown out of trash cans and into harm’s way. With all these reasons against plastic bags, it may seem almost impossible for stores to continue using them today. Evidence of the harms of plastic bags are shown in some areas of the world where plastic bag bans have been put into act. This means that shoppers must bring their own reusable bags when they shop. These bans are a great way to act locally and force citizens to look at how harmful we are to our own home. While the use of paper and plastic bags will never be entirely gone, it is important to note the incredible harmful impact these simple, everyday products have on our lives. Alternatives are staring consumers right in the face: reusable bags are currently sold at just about every food store, are cheap, and help the environment in an unprecedented number of ways. All together now….“Paper or Plastic?” “NEITHER!”
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Teenager Solves Massive Environmental Problem
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Good Websites for the Cause
Great Video!
Friday, May 21, 2010
FAQs
Case Studies on Plastic Bags
Title: Microbial Answer to Plastic Pollution?
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100329075919.htm
The pieces plastic bags that end up polluting the oceans are deadly to many species; certain research today, however, shows that this problem may come to an end in the future. The size of the plastic fragments decreases over time from natural weathering, but it is the smallest “microplastics” (5mm or less) that do the most damage, as they absorb chemicals that are then transferred to sea animals when ingested. An investigation, led by Dr. Mark Osborn at Sheffield, is based around the microbes that attach themselves to the polyethylene on the microplastics in the ocean. Dr. Osborne is interested in how this relationship between polyethylene and microplastics varies across different oceans. This research could potentially lead to new information as to how we can globally reduce plastic litter in the oceans. Jesse Harrison, also researching this phenomenon, says microbes “play a key role in the sustaining of all marine life and are the most likely of all organisms to break down toxic chemicals, or even the plastics themselves…This kind of research is also helping us unravel the global environmental impacts of plastic pollution," he said.
The Battle of the Bag
Source: http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/the-battle-of-the-bag/2008/02/24/1203788136226.html?page=4
The Pacific Garbage Patch, Source: http://students.umf.maine.edu/kanedc/public.www/
There is no doubt that Africa is an extremely large continent…but what would you think if you had a garbage pile that big? While it may seem impossible to have such a large amount of garbage floating in our ocean (what about recycling?), the reality is not a pretty one. In the Pacific Ocean there is a continent not many know about, called the Pacific Garbage Patch, and it is indeed the size of Africa, and growing. Trash that is discarded, even in trash cans, is blown by the wind and into the ocean, where the current pushes it to the center of the Pacific Ocean where it sits until it either biodegrades (taking thousands of years), or is met by an unsuspecting sea animal that either chokes on it, consumes it, or gets caught in it and bring it to another location. Not surprisingly, the majority of this trash is plastic bags which are entangled in hundreds of sea animals. While there are beach cleanups that gather some amount of the plastic bag litter on beaches, the only way to completely rid the Pacific Ocean of this unwanted floating mass is by stopping the problem at its source and illuminating plastic bag usage all together. Until that happens, plastic bags should be reused as many times as they can so that they can stay out of our waters longer. Do not be mistaken- plastic bags don’t have to end up here! There is plastic bag recycling that saves both landfill and ocean space. Make the smart choice…reduce, reuse, recycle.
Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust: Litter Made to Degrade
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060721181315.htm
An additive that can make plastic decompose at a faster rate by natural weathering such as the sun and water, was created in 2006 by the company Nor-X Industry AS. Oddly enough, the company, along with its sister company, started creating the product when it was attempting to create a collar that could be put around the necks of the deceased in order to make them look nicer in their coffins. While this particular experiment didn’t work, Nor-X shifted their goal by using their knowledge for biodegradable materials to try and save what is not yet dead: our environment. A regular plastic bag would take years to even begin to decompose, and a thousand years to be completely gone; this new additive, however, can cause the bags to degrade in shorter time than that of an apple. After two weeks in the sun the bags would still have ninety percent of their strength, but after five weeks there will only be small, almost untraceable pieces. The newer, greener, plastic bags would be friendly to the environmentally friendly, as the aids in the bags would merely be “assisting nature” in the usually extensive biodegrading job.
‘Green’ Plastics Could Help Reduce Carbon Footprint
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090211122145.htm
The University of Missouri is looking further into the already suggested use of plants as plastic. The bags would be made of plant starch and soy protein, and would largely reduce the 20 million tons of US plastics put in landfills every year. When enzymes are combined a polymer, known as polyhdroxybutyrate-co-polyhydroxyvalerate, or PHBV, results, and this can be used to produce a wide range of plastics. When the polymer is disposed of, it biodegrades into carbon dioxide and water by bacteria in soil. There is still much testing that needs to be done in order to assure the effectiveness of the new plastic bags, but it shows a new step towards a greener future and less buildup in landfills.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Great Newspaper and Website Articles
Connecticut Town Starts By Banning Plastic Bags
By Charanna Alexander
October 9, 2009
Source: New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/nyregion/11bgreenct.html?_r=1
This article from a 2009 issue of the New York Times talks about Westport, the first town in Connecticut to put a ban on the usage of plastic bags. Since the ban, the amount of people bringing in reusable bags to stores has increased by 70%. The total amount of plastic bags saved has so far been 600,000, which the town is very happy about. Not only has the increase in awareness of the harmful effects of plastic bags been realized, but citizens of Westport and the surrounding areas have also taken awareness of the other environmental issues. This article is significant to the plastic bag issue because it demonstrates how people are recognizing the harmful effects of disposable bags and are doing something to try and end it.
Red Bank Emphasizes Recycling Over Big Ban
By Bill Finley
Published: January 16, 2009
Source: New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/nyregion/new-jersey/18bagsnj.html
In December of 2009, a bill passed concerning Red Bank, New Jersey; the ban says that all businesses that use plastic bags must also supply a recycling bin for said plastic bags for their customers. Businesses that fail to do this will receive a first offence $100 fine. The Navesink River, which runs through the center of Red Bank, contains plastic bags that have been littered or blown out of the trash by the wind. This ban is part of a three-year plan to completely illuminate the usage of plastic bags all together. Red Bank schools have all added a course on environmental issues, including talk about the plastic bag issue. By teaching high school students about how we can help our environment in simple ways, the information is being passed on to the next generation and can be used for a better tomorrow.
Seeing a Pitched Battle over Plastic Bags
By: Mireya Navarro
Published: November 17, 2008
Source: New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/nyregion/18plastic.html
This article centers on Steven Thrasher, an environmentally friendly man who always carries two reusable bags with him at all times in the event of an unexpected purchase. The main point of the article, however, is that even men like Steven sometimes make extra unexpected purchases that result in the use of a plastic bag or two. This is the main problem facing those who are trying to reduce the use of plastic in their lives: there are some times in everyday life that plastic simply cannot be avoided. In instances such as changing kitty litter and picking up dog “waste” are two examples of times that may be trickier to completely illuminate plastic from one’s life. While there are alternatives to plastic in these cases (using the bag the kitty litter came in to dispose of it and laying down newspaper before a dog does their business), some citizens are just not willing enough to take these extra steps every time they are called for. The article discusses the points of view of multiple sides concerning the plastic bag dilemma, including those of people who are willing to pay the extra couple of cent tax that is now being put on plastic bags in certain supermarkets. They believe that having to carry around extra bags is too much of a hassle, and that is what plastic bags are for. While this isn’t exactly the environmentally friendly attitude needed to end the plastic bag issue, this article shows how there are some people who would rather take the easier road and just accept the bags they are given. These people can be educated in the sense that the plastic bags they are so willing to accept can be used again in other aspects of life: as garbage bags, for dog waste, etc. This article does a good job at showing more than one opinion in the great plastic bag debate.
The single-use plastic bag gives way to the recycled tote
By McClatchy News Service
Published: May 9, 2010
Source: Dallas News, http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-p2plasticbags_09bus.ART.State.Edition1.3ddd1ea.html
“The single-use plastic bag could be an endangered shopping species.” This article provides the sunnier side to the plastic bag issue facing the world today: the increase in the usage of reusable shopping bags is partnered with the decrease of the number of plastic bags being used. Following in the footsteps of the plastic bag bans of Whole Foods and Ikea in 2008, Wal-Mart has now set the goal of reducing the number of plastic bags used by 9 billion by 2013. Not only is the number of reusable bags that are being sold and used increasing, but the amount of plastic bags that are being recycled are as well. This year, stores such as Target, Walgreens and CVS gave out reusable bags for free as part of an Earth Day promotion. Target now offers a 5 cent rebate for all reusable bags that are brought back to stores in replace of using plastic bags for their purchases. While 5 cents may not seem like a lot, the amount of plastic bags that can and will be saved by this is worth more in the long run. Less pollution from the burning and littering of plastic bags will be a result as well as saving the lives of thousands of animals that choke and die from these bags every year. The energy that would have been used in making these bags is also saved and can be used for other more important things. This article gives an optimistic look at our current efforts to cause the extinction of plastic bags as well as giving a look into the future of what we can accomplish for our environment.
The Environmental Benefits of Online Grocery Shopping
By Leann Zotis
Published: N/A
Source: Helium Politics, News & Issues, http://www.helium.com/items/1791374-environmental-benefits-of-online-grocery-shopping
This article shows a much wider perspective on as simple a task as food shopping: there are more ways to reduce plastic litter than just using reusable shopping bags. By online shopping, there is not only a wider variety in products, but a great amount of energy is saved. Because no cars are used to drive to the food store, the only gas being used is that from the delivery truck which delivers to dozens of locations. If people had been driving separately to the store, the gas omitted into the environment would be much greater than that omitted by the single delivery truck. Sometimes when people go to the store, they only buy one small purchase or only arrive to realize that the item they seek isn’t in stock. Also, the petroleum that would have been used to make the plastic bags is saved and can therefore be used for other more important products. There are so many simple ways energy and litter can be reduced by changing the way one food shops, and this is clearly shown by this article.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Documentary on Plastic Bags
(here's the description from the site):"Plastic bags. Billions of the handy throwaway items are used around the world every year. They take hundreds of years to bio degrade and have sparked heated debates in cities from San Francisco to Mumbai.
This documentary gets a handle on the bag battle. From the big oil employees who brought the bag to America - to the Nobel laureate fighting for a bag ban - to the retired German schoolteacher who holds the world's record for the most plastic bags, the film takes stock of this icon of convenience culture."
Another Great Video
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
"But, it's so much easier to just choose paper or plastic..."
Really?
What about what happens
after you take your groceries home?
Chemistry: Plastic Bags
The plastics used to make plastic bags break down quickly in the low temperatures of the ocean, adding their toxins and chemicals into the home of many species. Plastic bags are made through the polymerization of ethylene, which is a gaseous hydrocarbon found in petroleum. Polyethylene is a thermoplastic made from oil which could otherwise be used for more helpful ways. Also used to make the bags, petroleum is a non-renewable resource that should be used for other means of energy other than making plastic bags that will eventually end up polluting our world. The amount of plastic produced each year is the equivalent of dumping 12 million barrels of oil. Plastic bags make up over 10% of the debris washed up on the U.S. coastline. The ones that do not end up on the coastline continue to float in the oceans and cause the deaths of animals from over 200 species, such as turtles and dolphins. Resent research reveals that the inks and colorants used in these bags contain lead, a harmful toxin. When the bags are floating in the ocean, they begin to break down, omitting this toxin into the water. According to the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation, more than a million birds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles die every year from eating or getting entangled in plastic. Adding to this, plastic doesn’t biodegrade, which means that every plastic bag that has ever been used- unless burned in an incinerator so that its toxins pollute our air- is sitting in a landfill somewhere. While some people think they are saving paper by choosing plastic, the amount of oil that is required to create their idea of a “greener” bag is, in reality, doing anything but help. Trees, if taken care of properly, can be seen as a renewable resource; oil, however, is not grown in forests, or created anywhere else. The easy solution?: bring your own canvas bag to the food store so that these harmful toxins are not released into our air, and animals do not choke and/or die from the harmful plastic.
Chemistry: Paper Bags
