Over the few months I have been stressing a lot in my posts regarding the use of plastic bag in our daily life. Why I say ‘the use of daily life’?
Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide.
That’s over one million plastic bags used per minute.
Recently, England started charging their customers in Supermarket for the use of plastic bag. It was long over due. Denmark was the first country in 1993 to pass the law to charge customers for the plastic bag in supermarket. Even Finland tops the list for less plastic bag usage.
Ireland ans Scotland started charging long way back too and succeeded in reducing the usage by significant number.
I remember when I was in school in India, there was once a strong campaign against the use of plastic. If any student did a bad thing, he was punished to clean the sport ground by taking out the plastic bags. The ground was really dirty and mostly I and my friends had to do it sometimes. We liked it. It was better than attending Maths class.
(btw only guys cleaned it, girls were saint at that time – pun intended).
Now, living in Italy, where they charge 15 cents for the plastic bag, I take my own bag for last 10 months for shopping. I carry my laptop bag everywhere. You never know when you need to shop. I look like a nerd. Even people tell me that I am always with that bag but I sleep well knowing that I am using less plastic than I was using before.
There is a post where it says that by 2050 99% of seabirds will have plastic in their body system.
When Ireland started charging over the use of plastic bag, there was 90% reduction in the usage. So did Australia and it worked wonders for them. I wonder why India and China lack behind.
You know in India they put hot tea in the plastic bag to drink later on in office or back home? really unhealthy but good memories. I see loads of people carrying plastic bag in supermarket only to put it in their cars truck. Why can’t they use a trolley till their car parking to put the stuff inside? or keep a strong bag in the car for shopping in the future.
I am optimistic but with my own limitations but what a beautiful world will be without the plastic in the ocean.
