Additional Details
8 months ago
Thanks for all the answers. There seems to be no clear answer - some bags are biodegradable, some aren%26#039;t and paper sacks don%26#039;t seem to be any more %26#039;green%26#039;. If bags end up on trees or in the ocean that%26#039;s surely a problem with littering or poor waste management. Carrying your own permanent bags is obviously a good idea, but won%26#039;t always be practical.I re-use and recycle everything almost to the point of obsession, and always have, but I can see the government leading a clamp down on plastic bags, rather than addressing the far bigger, and costlier, waste and environmental issues.
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
The main culprits for harming the environment are those responsible for major industry.They keep us from noticing them by giving us lots of distractions - like air-miles travelled and plastic bags. The truth is that the individual%26#039;s carbon footprint is irrelevant compared to what the big boys do.
It%26#039;s similar to the sacrifice of iron railings during World War 2. Everyone cut down their beautiful wrought iron railing to send them to be made into planes and tanks. Everyone played their part in the war effort. In reality, the metal was not the quality needed to make such things - and so the were cut down for no reason.
The same is true of most environmental initiatives. Stop using plastic bags and the polar bears with still have a place to live. Feel guilty about going on holiday in a plane and the oceans will not rise and flood half of the world.
The truth is that industry creates the problems and everything we are asked to do is merely a distraction. 38% 3 Votes
Other Answers (25)
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The problem is that almost everyone else does little with the plastic bags that they get from the grocery store other than a convenient carrier. After that, it gets dumped into the bin or something. By discouraging the use of plastic bags, the dumping gets reduced.
I would rather use a plastic bag than paper bag as paper needs trees to produce but not plastic bags. 0% 0 Votes -
I don%26#039;t have many plastic carrier bags, the few that do come my way are biodegradable, and are used as bin liners and short term storage.
Yoghurt pots can be recycled, specially in the garden.
A number of small shops give you a choice of bag or no bag, and some even use paper bags.
As far as I%26#039;m aware, the main supermarkets switched to biodegradable carrier bags a few years ago, and they take back the bags for recycling. 0% 0 Votes -
Because they%26#039;re not recyclable, for starters. They don%26#039;t hold very much, so you need a whole bunch of them, and eventually they just end up in the landfill, where they take forever to break down because they%26#039;re not biodegradable.
There%26#039;s absolutely no reason for them. Everyone could just as well have reuseable canvas bags.
In short, they%26#039;re wasteful and unnecessary. 0% 0 Votes -
Hey, I like having the option of having plastic or paper at the check out line. I reuse (hence I am recycling) the plastic bags as a trash can liner.
Also, if I did not have the plastic bags that I get from going grocery shopping I would just have to buy the plastic new then and that would be more of a waste. Waste of money and waste of resources and adding to the landfill even more because buying the trash can liners new well they even come in their own packaging (duh). 25% 2 Votes -
Because it%26#039;s just downright unnecessary to use them. Yes, you%26#039;re right that there are also other unnecessary plastics too. Those plastic pots are great as seed starter pots or for forming birdfood cakes - reduce, reuse and recycle everything you can.
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because they are not bio degradable, the ladnfills are nearly full ..
not an issue really a few bags .. re-usabless are really easy to re-use .. simple answer already supllied for us , but you fail to see it ... hmmmm 0% 0 Votes -
I know. Plastic bags come in handy for me A LOT. They should offer both plastic and paper bags, and then offer a certain amount of points (on whatever card it is you can use, eg a nectar card) for people who reuse their bags, so that they%26#039;re offering us something. That should reduce the amount of plastic bags we waste, but at the same time, people who need them can still use them. If that makes sense.