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ECO-TREND COTTON BAGS
It’s not about…

Bags
It’s not about…

Bags
It’s about…

Bags
But it starts with:

it starts with: A Plastic

bag
It STARTS with
‘us’ using this:
 It comes in many sizes

and many colors

Bags
It is a common foe that was introduced roughly & over 25
years ago
Now plastic bags have become a global consumption in daily life and we use
them so carelessly that we do not even realize the ACTUAL damage they are
causing
• It is estimated that over 500 BILLION to 1 Trillion plastic bags are used
during the year by people globally. Yes that’s Billion with a ‘B’ and Trillion
with ‘T’ (we are way passed the million mark)

• The plastic bag begins its journey into production as crude oil and other various
secondary petrochemicals. They also share mutual ingredients with pesticides and bring
out harmful bi-products that are unsafe to living beings and this living planet’s living
environment

• high-density polyethylene – HDPE cause the most damage. You may

use it just for one day and for even one purpose but after you are done with
it, it remains around for the next 1000 years.

Not exactly the family heirloom you want to pass-down to your future generations
 Sky
The IMPACT of
the PLASTIC
BAG on the
Earth’s
ENVIRONMENT
Sea Land
Bags
 the IMPACT on Land
Plastic bags contribute to high levels of land pollution Most plastic
bags end up in landfills when they are used to dispose our
Garbage.
Even when they end up in
landfills they do not degrade
easily. When they finally do
begin to degrade plastic
breaks down into toxic
particles that harm the soil
through contamination of the
nutrients within the soil that
in turn effects trees and other
plantations. These toxic
particles then further make
their way into the food chain
of both man and animal.

Bags
 Land pollution caused by plastic
bags are hazardous to land
animals who mistake it for food
or suffocate from them
A bear does not know that a
plastic bag is harmful.
But there is ONE ANIMAL that should
know plastic bags pollute lands that cause
drains to be blocked, soil to be
contaminated, cause the deaths of animals
that Neither
ingest it by mistake
does a duck… or get entangled
in it and suffocate:

The HUMAN

Or an orangutan.

No other animal for that matter knows

 What we humans should know about
the impact plastic bags have on land
• Plastic bags are non-biodegradable therefore when they are
thrown into landfills they remain there (though they are out of
our individual sights they are not actually gone…. Not for
another 300-1000 years!)

• Plastic bags being non-biodegradable = they are water

resistant = stoppage of rain water infiltrating the soil and
movement of rain water on the surface area of the land = soil
erosion

• The water without infiltrating the soil then carries with it on

the surface toxics that make their way with the water flow
into clean bodies of water = pollution of water resources for
both land animals and man.

• Soil erosion = trees being uprooted exposing their roots that

function to take in nutrients from the soil = trees
dieing/weakening

• Because plastic is water resistant and it blocks water from

seeping into the soil vegetation, fruits and other plantations
lose nutrients they naturally gain from the soil for growth.

• When plastic bags float into drains, they block the control of
water flow out of cities which contribute to massive floods in
high density rural areas especially cities with rivers.

• Livestock such as cows grazing open fields may accidentally

take in plastic bags or pieces of plastic bags.
 the IMPACT on the sky
“I go where the wind takes me!”, sayeth the plastic bag
Plastic bags are made out of polythene a flexible, low
weight, thin material.
Then it is not surprising that sometimes
plastic bags or pieces of them are found
most anywhere causing harm to the
environment.
Roughly 47% of garbage that is
“gone with the wind” are plastic bags.
They blow easily with the winds
and end up entangled in trees.
Once entangled in trees they are
harmful to birds and other animals
that reside in the trees causing
damage to their livelihoods.
Sometimes garbage disposed in plastic bags are burned- thinking we
are burning away our waste.
Plastic bags contribute to the
What we don’t realize is that when plastic is burned it emits strong
hazardous chemicals into the air causing massive air pollution.
damage of the natural layer of
Air pollution in turn causes damage to the Ozone Layer
The protection which
ozone layer, over 10 miles this planet
high surrounding the Earth abovehas
is what
protects us from Ultra-Violate radiation emitted by the sun.
Damage to the Ozone layergiven us!in skin
causes increase
cancer for both humans and animals.
Impact on the Ozone layer = sever damage to
the Ecosystem: destruction of plantation, and
imbalance of the food-chain in the oceans.
Causing scarcity of food for marine life.
 the IMPACT on Sea & water
Plastic bags due to their light weight are easily carried
by the wind and end up in clean bodies of water
containing aquatic life where they slowly degrade for
generations.

Aquatic life in small bodies

of water are not alone
as victims to plastic bags
 the IMPACT on Sea
When
Marineplastic
life is bags enter
severely
the digestive
effected by oursystem of
marine life it of
consumption is plastic
not
excreted
bags. by the animal.
Instead it stagnates in
That is because
the animal’s gutatill
plastic
the
bag in its
animal low weight, and
dies.
thin outlook resembles a
Once the animal
jellyfish: a common dies
due to the
source plastic
of food for bag
many
clogging its digestive
sea creatures.
system to function
Annually
properly,an estimated
it decomposes
tens of thousands
and once again theof
turtles, birds,
plastic bag seals and
is released
whales
into thedie
oceandueto to the
consumption of plastic
continue its damage.
bags mistaking it for food. Bags
 the IMPACT on Sea
Some Marine Pollution Bulletins from the United Nations Environment
Program

“Dead stranded sea turtles were recovered and examined to determine the impact
of anthropogenic debris and fishery activities on sea turtles on the coast of Rio
Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Esophagus/stomach contents of 38 juvenile green
Chelonia mydas, 10 adults and sub-adults loggerhead Caretta caretta, and two
leatherback Dermochelys coriacea turtles (adult or sub-adult) included plastic bags
as the main debris ingested, predominated by white and colorless pieces.”
2001, Upper South-West Atlantic, off Brazil

“..plastic bags accounted for a very high percentage (up to 95% or more) of total
debris.”
2003, Seine Bay

If you do not know the location of Seine Bay, it is of little importance, what is important is that
you realize it is some where on this planet, the same one you are on seated at your computer
reading this right now.
 Some World action
Canada
Canada against Plastic Bags
Ireland
Ireland
Canada
Canada shows action
shows action Ireland
Ireland is considered
is considered one of onethe
towards theproblem
problem golden samples of the
of the golden samples of global
United
towards
States
United States
the
of plastic
plastic bags through
of
bags the community
the global fighting the plague
community
In the
Ontario
In the US, San
government
US, San theFrancisco that of plastic bags. Their tax
through Ontario fighting the plague of
Francisco
has taken thehas
has
government big taken
statedstepitstohas
that
‘PlasTax’ has shown an average
plastic bags. Their tax China
China
ban reduction in plastic bag
theplastic
big bags.to
commitment
step
stated It ban
hopes
to the
its ‘PlasTax’ has
consumption. shown
Though an
there Chinaplans
China plans onon implementing
implementing a tax
other
plasticUS cities
reduction will
of
bags. It hopes follow
usage by
commitment
in its50%
example.
within Californiato the
the next half average
have reduction
been some in
step-backs onatheIndia
tax onofthe
use use bags
plastic of plastic
as well –
other US
reduction cities
has implemented
will
of usage
an by where numbers have
plastic bag consumption. depleted bagsIndia:
this
In Goa, as well
tax in turn
people – this
are tax utilized
would be in turn
decade.
follow in its
50% within
educational example.
the next
program Though there have Africa
and then increased Africa
Ireland
been is to generate
would
giving in oldbe capital
utilized
magazines to deal with
generate
California has determined to keep it’s efforts and capital
newspapers for the
which pushes businesses
half decade. some step-backs where pollutionto deal
caused with
by pollution
plastic bags.
implemented an
in the direction of in Kenya
success. and Uganda are
Kenya and Uganda are productionbanning of paper bags
numbersbanning
have depleted
thin caused by plastic bags.
promoting the message thin plastic bagsplastic bags
and placing
to aid in the reduction
educational programof and then increased Ireland
re-usingpushes
bags. and placing
tariffs on thick tariffs
plasticon of thick
bags.
plastic bag
which is determined South to keep
Africa’s it’s
actions towards
plastic bags. South consumption. Australia
Australia
businesses in the effortsthe in issue
success.of plastic towards
bag have
Africa’s actions Australia
Australia beganbegan its battle
its battle against
direction of fairly restricted the number of
the issue of plastic bag against plastic bags in 2006 by
plastic bags in 2006 in Victoria, in
promoting the bags found carelessly disposed
have fairly restricted
in the country. The African the asking consumers to pay
Victoria, by asking consumers for the
message of re-using
number
nation takingof bags found
the most strongly to plastic
pay for bags
thethey use. They
plastic bagsarethey
bags. hoping this step in Victoria will see
carelessly
voiced action disposed
is Tanzaniain the use. They are hoping this step
banning the
country. Theplastic bag
African the rest of Australia follow a path
in Victoria
towards reducingwillthe
seeconsumption
the rest ofof
nation taking
completely in 2006. the most Australia follow a path towards
plastic bags.
strongly voiced action is reducing the consumption of
Tanzania banning the plastic bags.
plastic bag completely in
2006.
 What can ‘You’ or ‘Me’ do?
Lets start by answering that infamous question we are asked:
Some of us choose plastic thinking we can re-use and recycle
Others choose paper thinking they are definitely choosing the best option
But the reality of it is apparently:

The ideal answer is ‘Neither’

The production of paper takes up to 4x more energy than plastic

Millions of trees are cut down for the production of paper bags (you might as well let the plastics uproot them
right?) (well not exactly..)
Paper does have a higher recycling rate than plastic

plastic?
But Paper bags produce pollutants too

PAPER or
Paper bags though they do disintegrate sometimes too remain in landfills without degrading
So then choosing plastic is better right? Because you can re-use it again – well not really unless you plan on re-
using that same one plastic bag for everything you do with a plastic bag for the next 300-1000 years.
So if paper is not THE most suitable option and plastic is definitely a NO then what is a ‘yes’?

Say hello to the cloth bag!

Use a cloth bag when you go grocery shopping to carry dried food items. Carry a special lining cloth bag that is
water resistant – (yes it will then contain plastic but at least you won’t see it blowing in the wind ending up
in many places causing harm nor will you be burning it!)

And you can use the cloth bag not ONCE, not TWICE but all year long. If not use biodegradable bags and store your
frozen items in containers and not plastic bags
Don’t wait till your community leads you!
Lead the community!

Humans on average follow by example,

so set an example for your
kids
your friends
your neighbors
your city, your country – your world!
Reduce the consumption of plastic bags!

Bags
 get the Bigger Picture
“There’s a little ‘he’ wave who’s bobbing
up and down in the ocean off the
shore, having a great time. All of a
sudden, he realizes he’s going to crash
into the shore. In this big wide ocean,

If we are to live on
he’s now moving toward the shore,
and he’ll be annihilated. “My god,
what’s going to happen to me?” he
this planet we must
says a sour and despairing look on his
face. Along comes a female wave,

not think ‘I’ we

bobbing up and down, having great
time. “Why are you so depressed?” she
asks the he wave. The male wave says,

must think about

“You don’t understand. You’re going
to crash into that shore, and you’ll be
nothing.” She says, “You don’t
understand. You’re not a wave, you’re
part of the ocean.”
– Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom

Bags