Plastic bags heavily contribute to climate change and can even badly affect the atmospheric conditions when people are done with them. It can be hard to believe that those tiny plastic bags that are available at almost any store could cause so much harm. “Despite the usefulness of plastics for many human activities, the costs of their use have been downplayed significantly over time,” states Amanda Thompson, the biology teacher at Cannon Falls High School. With the harms of plastic bags being downplayed, people might not see the true benefits of using reusable bags.
Plastic bags are so bad that they are only helpful to people at one point- when they are used to carry goods, which is a tiny part of a possible 500-year life, according to BBC Science Focus Magazine. And in this very long life, the plastic bag is constantly affecting the planet, whether or not it is realized. “It’s concerning to me that they can be around for that long, some plastics even longer. They just rotate in our ecosystems and poison everything,” says Hades Kammerude, 10th grader at Cannon Falls High School.
The lengthy existence of a plastic bag even starts as being hazardous to the environment. According to Greenprint, the manufacturing of plastic bags can create greenhouse gases and fossil fuels. Later, when these plastic bags end up in a landfill, they can release toxins into the ground. Plastic bags are also a menace when even destroyed. They cannot be destroyed without sending poisonous fumes into the atmosphere. So if these bags are such a problem, people have to ask themselves, “Are plastic bags worth what they do to our planet?” Some people don’t think so.
Recently, some regions have come up with plastic bag taxes at grocery stores to lessen pollution from plastic bags, according to The Hill. When asked about this tax, Mrs. Thompson said, “If it is implemented well, this action could raise awareness about the role of plastics in the environment and help people to be more mindful of their consumption.” An example of the “plastic bag tax” is the fairly new five-cent charge that is added to everyone’s bill for every carryout plastic bag in the city of Edina, Minnesota. Edina, like many other areas, has realized the problem and is attempting to put a stop to it by using the tax. These new fees are popping up all over the country with the hope of getting consumers to bring their own reusable, earth-friendly bags.
This plastic bag tax will hopefully nudge people towards using reusable bags. As they are better for the environment, and won’t hurt the animals that accidentally digest them. Imagine how many uses a cloth bag could have compared to a plastic bag. All the customers have to do is remember to bring reusable bags to the store. That is a small price to pay compared to the price the Earth will pay if plastic bags stay in use.
