| Copyright (c) 2008 Mervyn Rees | | | | and every other year. |
| Our Trash | | | | Plastic bags aren't only clogging up landfill sites |
| What should we do with our trash? Should we | | | | though. They're also polluting our countryside, |
| burn it or should we store it in a landfill? Two | | | | rivers and seas. Animals often mistake plastic |
| reasons why storing our trash in a landfill is a | | | | bags for food, and once their intestines are |
| better solution, but the third solution is best: | | | | clogged by a bag that won't break down, they |
| 1. Landfill waste creates methane, which could | | | | have to endure slow starvation until death finally |
| (eventually) be harnessed as an energy source. | | | | claims them. Sea creatures often become |
| 2. Burning waste releases it into the atmosphere, | | | | entangled in plastic bags and drown. These aren't |
| while keeping waste in a landfill site keeps it | | | | great things to think about, but sometimes we |
| relatively contained. Neither one is ideal, but | | | | have to face the truth whether we like it or not. |
| scientists are more likely to find a way to help | | | | By reducing on plastic bag usage, we can create a |
| reduce the toxic effects of waste that is | | | | better environment for ourselves and every |
| relatively contained in a landfill site than waste that | | | | other creature we share our planet with. |
| is dispersed thickly into the atmosphere through | | | | If you'd like to help improve the situation, you |
| burning. | | | | could try any of the following: |
| 3. Recycle like crazy, it cleans, heals, and saves on | | | | * Re-use bags when you go shopping. The "free" |
| resources while even creating jobs at home. | | | | bags that supermarkets offer at the check-out |
| Plastic Carrier Bags | | | | aren't really free - the cost is baked into the |
| Did you know that around 500 billion plastic bags | | | | overall pricing structure. If you want to be really |
| are used every year? That's 500,000,000,000! To | | | | cheeky, you could always ask for a few pence or |
| say that's 'a lot of bags' is an understatement; in | | | | cents off your bill being as you aren't taking a |
| fact, it's so many bags that over 1 million bags | | | | plastic bag. |
| are being used every single minute of the day! | | | | * Choose biodegradable bags to use for litter |
| Incredible, isn't it? | | | | (photo degradable bags—those that aren't |
| What happens to all those bags? | | | | designed to break down quickly and are used for |
| The truth is, most of them end up on landfill sites | | | | litter collection are guaranteed to end up on landfill |
| where they take around 300 years to break | | | | sites taking hundreds of years to break down). |
| down. Yes, that's right - 300 years! This means | | | | * Re-use large plastic sacks whenever possible. |
| that when you're | | | | * Refrigerate food in containers rather than plastic |
| great-great-great-great-grandchildren are old, the | | | | bags. Not only is this better for the environment, |
| bags you use today will still be there, along with | | | | it'll save you quite a bit over the course of a year |
| the millions and millions of others used this year | | | | because plastic food bags aren't cheap. |