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As awareness of the problems associated with the use of plastic bags increases worldwide, local and national authorities are beginning to take steps to eliminate their use. Some have imposed taxes on plastic bags and some have even banned them altogether. Countries that have started to adopt policies to discourage or eliminate the use of disposable bags include the western nations of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Australia and the United States; eastern countries such as China, Bhutan, India, Taiwan, Bangladesh, and Singapore; and African nations: Kenya, Uganda, Eritrea, Somaliland, Rwanda and South Africa. Shoppers around the world are now carrying reusable bags, and savvy store owners have stepped in by selling their own branded reusable bags at the checkout.
An innovative program in Ireland called ‘PlasTax’ for tax buyers who choose plastic bags has resulted in a 90% reduction in the use of plastic bags since the program began in 2002. On a per unit basis, this means 1 billion fewer plastic bags placed on the market each year. Under the program, the money raised by taxing plastic bags even serves an environmental purpose: funding environmental initiatives. PlasTax has been so successful that other governments have followed suit, making the use of reusable tote bags the norm and plastic bags the exception.
Some countries have laws regulating the thickness of the bags, such as China. In order to combat garbage and oil waste, the country’s council has banned the use of bags thinner than 24/1000 millimeters. The Chinese government also requires retailers to charge for thicker bags. In the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, all polyethylene bags are banned from both production and use, and anyone found carrying them could be sentenced to up to seven years in prison or a $ 2,000 fine. In 2003, Indian politicians announced that the bags were damaging the health of the soil and creating unsightly rubbish. Total bans were also favored in Paris, San Francisco, England, Australia, Singapore and Bangladesh.
A recent ban on the sale of plastic bags in San Francisco bans large grocery stores and chain pharmacies from using plastic shopping bags. They were replaced by paper bags and biodegradable bags, so the use of reusable bags is encouraged. Other cities considering bans include Austin, Annapolis, Bakersfield, Boston, New Haven, and Phoenix. While some consider these bans positive as overall pollution is reduced by keeping non-biodegradable waste away from the environment and the CO2 emissions of its production into the air, others argue that the bans do not significantly affect the amount of disposable bags used. whether they are paper bags or compostable bags, both of which have their own environmental drawbacks. It is important to understand that the San Francisco ban, while being a beginning, is actually only a partial ban. Thousands of small businesses will still be able to distribute all kinds of plastic bags. In summary, consumers themselves have the greatest strength to make the change simply by shopping with their own reusable bags.
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Source by David Kraft