Problems caused by plastic bags Whats So Bad About Plastic Bags They are not biodegradable They clog waterways Spoil landscapes PROBLEMS They end up in landfills where it may take ID: 625726
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Slide1
What’s so bad about PLASTIC BAGS?Slide2
Problems caused by plastic bags:-
What’s So Bad About Plastic Bags?
They are not
biodegradable.
They clog waterwaysSpoil landscapesSlide3
PROBLEMS
They end up in
landfills
where it may take
1,000 years to break down into smaller particles that continue to pollute the soil and water.Plastic bags are
dangerous to birds , cattle, and marine life. Animals mistake them for food and Thousands die
each year after
swallowing or choking on plastic bags
. Slide4
PROBLEM
Finally, producing plastic bags requires millions of gallons of
petroleum
that could be used for transportation or heatingSlide5Slide6
Solutions
Switch to reusable shopping bags
.
Reusable shopping bags are made from renewable materials (jute, hessian, straw, sugar cane, bamboo, cotton etc). These eco-friendly resources do not destroy the environment and are biodegradable.Slide7
PROBLEM
We use TOO MANY PLASTIC BAGS!500 BILLION – 1 TRILLION plastic bags used globally!
We THROW AWAY too many!
4billion are thrown away each year
Plastic bags are made from petroleum which causes a lot of pollution.Slide8
SOLUTIONS
Ban the production and use of plastic bags!Charge high prices for them at supermarkets – this will reduce the number that people use.
Change waste plastic back into oil
Recycle old bags and use them to make new ones
Use other materials to make bags….materials which are biodegradableSlide9
PROBLEMS WITH SOME SOLUTIONS
1. Not all plastic bags can be changed back into oil. A lot of work would have to be done to sort out bags and this would make them expensive.
The process of using heat to recycle old plastic bags , itself, can cause air pollution by releasing many TOXINS into the air.Slide10
PROBLEMS WITH SOLUTIONS
Using biodegradable material is good. HOWEVERThe process of growing plants to make plastic bags uses pesticides, land and freshwater.
The pesticides harm the environment.
We will need more land and freshwater which will in turn drive up the price of biodegradable materials. Farmers will grow less plants for food.Slide11
DISCUSS/THINK
How is the plastic bag question similar to the problems related to petroleum fuel and biofuel
use?