Growingly citizens around the world are becoming conscious of the ecological issues surrounding plastic bags. Considering their somewhat peaceful appearance, the impact of plastic bags on the surroundings can be disturbing.
"MANILA, Philippines—Officials of Muntinlupa have
taken a monumental step in protecting the environment by
banning plastic bags and polystyrene in the city."
Look at the following:
Good to know!!!
Muntinlupa takes giant step!
MANILA, Philippines—Officials of Muntinlupa have
taken a monumental step in protecting the environment by
banning plastic bags and polystyrene in the city.
This is an encouraging boost that we in the environmental
movement have been waiting for. In all our engagements
with local government units, every time we present the
adverse effects of plastic bags on health and the environment,
the common knee-jerk response is that the initiative to ban
plastic bags should come from the national government.
Relying on our national government may not be our best
option because of the uncertainty of passing ecologically
sound bills in our legislature.
Good precedent
Thus, the example set by Muntinlupa, among others,
establishes a good precedent and a clear statement that
, with political will, a ban is doable.
Pangasinan and Odiongan in Romblon have also taken
moves against the use of plastic bags.)
A positive national impact of the ban is that it opens up
livelihood opportunities for producing baskets, bayong
and other organic, reusable bags using katsa or available
indigenous materials.
Both our urban and rural populations will benefit from this
opportunity since raw materials are available where they
are: discarded paper and cloth in the city; abaca, buri, and
other plant fibers in provinces.
Indirectly, this may reduce the urge to migrate to cities
since a source of income becomes available in the provinces.
Similarly, it will open doors to discussions on how people
should be stewards of the environment, which provides their
basic raw materials.
In 2009, the United Nations Environment Program executive
director, Achim Steiner, expressed the need to ban plastic
bags, highlighting the seriousness ofplastic pollution and
the urgency of taking action against the material.
“Single-use plastic bags which choke marine life, should
be banned or phased out rapidly everywhere,” Steiner says.
“There is simply zero justification for manufacturing them anymore,
anywhere,” he adds.
Trillion bags
Every year, around 500 billion to a trillion plastic bags are used worldwide, with over one million bags used every minute.
Plastic pollution from Asia, the Pacific and North America is sucked into the North Pacific Gyre, an area between Hawaii and the United States mainland.
Food chain
The pollution mingles with sea life, choking and ensnaring marine wildlife and disturbing every level of the food chain.
Now estimated to be twice the size of Texas, 80 percent of the plastic debris come directly from land. Necropsies have showed that many marine creatures had stomachs full of plastic trash that caused their deaths.
Plastic bags and plastic fragments can cause blockage of digestive or intestinal tracts of marine creatures resulting in more than 100,000 deaths of seabirds, turtles and mammals annually.
Plastic litter in the countryside can be eaten by grazing domestic and wild animals and can eventually enter the food chain.
Toxic
Many plastic items contain toxic chemicals such as biocides and plasticizers that could be released if the items break down or are eaten. Many chemical additives to plastic goods have negative effects on the environment and human health, such as the following:
Direct toxicity, as in the cases of lead, cadmium and mercury
Carcinogens, as in the case of diethylhexyl phthalate, a plasticizer used to make PVC pliable
Endocrine disruption, which can lead to cancer, birth defects, immune system suppression and developmental problems in children.
On the other hand, polystyrene, the main component of Styrofoam, can irritate the eyes, nose and throat, and can cause dizziness and unconsciousness. It migrates into food and is stored in body fat. It can cause lymphatic and hematopoietic cancer. Styrofoams, like plastic bags, are nonbiodegradable.
(Sonia S. Mendoza is the chair of Mother Earth Foundation and a member of Task Force Plastic, EcoWaste Coalition.)
