Plastic bags have severe negative environmental impacts on land, sea, and sky. Over 500 billion plastic bags are used globally each year, and they can persist in the environment for up to 1000 years. Plastic bags pollute oceans and lands, harm wildlife, and damage ecosystems. However, small actions like refusing plastic bags and opting for reusable cloth bags can help reduce plastic bag usage and environmental damage. Everyone must work to solve the global plastic bag pollution problem by changing individual habits and choices.

1. Get the BIGGER picture

2. It’s not about …

3. It’s not about…

4. It’s about…

5. But it starts with: it starts with: It STARTS with ‘us’ using this: A Plastic bag

6. It comes in many sizes and many colors

8. The IMPACT of the PLASTIC BAG on the Earth’s ENVIRONMENT Land Sea Sky

10. A bear does not know that a plastic bag is harmful. Neither does a duck… Land pollution caused by plastic bags are hazardous to land animals who mistake it for food or suffocate from them Or an orangutan. 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 ingest it by mistake or get entangled in it and suffocate: The HUMAN No other animal for that matter knows

12. the IMPACT on the sky 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. “ I go where the wind takes me!”, sayeth the plastic bag Once entangled in trees they are harmful to birds and other animals that reside in the trees causing damage to their livelihoods.

13. Plastic bags contribute to the damage of the natural layer of protection which this planet has given us ! Sometimes garbage disposed in plastic bags are burned- thinking we are burning away our waste. What we don’t realize is that when plastic is burned it emits strong hazardous chemicals into the air causing massive air pollution. Air pollution in turn causes damage to the Ozone Layer The ozone layer, over 10 miles high surrounding the Earth above is what protects us from Ultra-Violate radiation emitted by the sun . Damage to the Ozone layer causes increase in skin 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.

14. 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

15. the IMPACT on Sea Marine life is severely effected by our consumption of plastic bags. That is because a plastic bag in its low weight, and thin outlook resembles a jellyfish : a common source of food for many sea creatures. Annually an estimated tens of thousands of turtles , birds , seals and whales die due to the consumption of plastic bags mistaking it for food. When plastic bags enter the digestive system of marine life it is not excreted by the animal. Instead it stagnates in the animal’s gut till the animal dies. Once the animal dies due to the plastic bag clogging its digestive system to function properly, it decomposes and once again the plastic bag is released into the ocean to continue its damage.

17. Africa Kenya and Uganda are banning thin plastic bags and placing tariffs on thick plastic bags. South Africa’s actions towards the issue of plastic bag have fairly restricted the number of bags found carelessly disposed in the country. The African nation taking the most strongly voiced action is Tanzania banning the plastic bag completely in 2006. Some World action against Plastic Bags United States In the US, San Francisco has taken the big step to ban plastic bags. It hopes other US cities will follow in its example. California has implemented an educational program which pushes businesses in the direction of promoting the message of re-using bags. Canada Canada shows action towards the problem of plastic bags through the Ontario government that has stated its commitment to the reduction of usage by 50% within the next half decade. China China plans on implementing a tax on the use of plastic bags as well – this tax in turn would be utilized to generate capital to deal with pollution caused by plastic bags. Australia Australia began its battle against plastic bags in 2006 in Victoria, by asking consumers to pay for the plastic bags they use. They are hoping this step in Victoria will see the rest of Australia follow a path towards reducing the consumption of plastic bags. Ireland Ireland is considered one of the golden samples of the global community fighting the plague of plastic bags. Their tax ‘PlasTax’ has shown an average reduction in plastic bag consumption. Though there have been some step-backs where numbers have depleted and then increased Ireland is determined to keep it’s efforts in success. India In Goa, India: people are giving in old magazines and newspapers for the production of paper bags to aid in the reduction of plastic bag consumption.