THE FACTS ABOUT NOT-SO-FANTASTIC PLASTICS
As part of a nationwide if not worldwide campaign to
SNUB - Say No to Unwanted Bags, Bagsby introduces a green-friendly alternative drawn by these harrowing facts:
- British shoppers annually use up to twenty billion plastic bags - averaging about 330 per person.
- Plastic bags destroy sea life and their habitats, sea turtles mistake the floating debris for Jellyfish, a staple in their diet. See
www.reusablebags.com and go to '
Fast facts' for more info on this destructive outcome.
- A massive 46,000 pieces of plastic waste invade every square mile of the world's oceans.
- Manufacturing of plastic bags produces a deadly Benzene gas, a known cause of cancer, enters the atmosphere.
- Even bio-degradable plastic can take a very long time to breakdown.
NOW FOR SOME GOOD FACTS
- The
Irish "plastax" introduced in March 2002, has rapidly reduced consumption of plastic bags by a whopping 90%.
Find out how via this RICS link
- The plastic bag levy is almost certain to be implemented by the UK-wide, introducing a tax of about 10p each on plastic bags.
- Ireland have already adopted this "plastax", with Scotland moving closer to the tax become law, it's hoped between Easter -Autumn 2006.
See this Friends of the Earth Press Release for more information.
- People say the introduction of 10p plastic carrier "plastax" would have a major impact on the way they used plastic bags.
For more encouraging survey responses please see the report on Durham city council website.
