Do you know…
Plastic Facts
88 pounds of plastic retrieved from a whales stomach
Cities and countries of the world are pledging to eliminate single use plastics. Leading in this social movement are Africa, China, and India. USA manufacturers of plastics are adding more recycled plastic to their products. Unfortunately, this is good but not enough. It will not eliminate or curtail the growing plastic pollution problem. Currently there are many cities in the USA that have instituted legislation to charge retailers for plastic bags.
~ Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year, which require 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture.
~ It takes 500-1000 years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. The bags don't break down completely, but instead photo-degrade, becoming micro plastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment.
~ Of the 8.3 billion metric tons that has been produced, 6.3 billion metric tons has become plastic waste.
~ The average American family takes home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags yearly.
~ Waste Management,reports only 1% of plastic bags are returned for recycling. The average family only recycles 15 bags a year and the rest ends up in landfills as litter.
~ Plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes.
~ At least 267 different species have been affected by plastic pollution in the ocean. and 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags annually.
~ As well, In the U.S. 500 million plastic straws are used every day and many of those straws and stirs end up in the environment.
~ Plastic bags are banned in California, and Hawaii; several states are slated to follow. Thirteen states have adopted plastic bag legislation along with major city bans on
.~ More than 700 USA cities have plastic bag bans. Many have placed fees on paper bags charging 5-12 cents per bag. Below is a list of cities that have initiated plastic bag bans and fees on paper bags Austin, TX, Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA , Boulder, CO, Brownsville, TX, Montgomery County, MD, New York, NY. Portland, ME, Washington D.C.
~ At least 32 countries around the world have plastic bag bans in place including Africa, China and India making the United States one of the least progressive country in the world.
~ In some countries these bans or taxes have
been in place since 2002 and have had significant impact in the reduction of plastic bag usage
~ Denmark has the lowest yearly usage in
Europe averaging 4 bags per person.
~ Consumers are becoming more environmentally aware and are choosing more eco-friendly brands and companies that support the environment’s long term needs.
copyright 2019 Sally H. Rumman