We’re supporting International Plastic Bag free day

It’s time to create a plastic bag free world! We are joining this cause and are raising awareness on the environmental impact and hazards of single-use plastic bags, and help promote more sustainable solutions.

Here are some facts about plastic bags

–          On average, plastic bags are only used for 25 minutes!

–          It takes between 100-500 years for a plastic bag to disintegrate (depending on the type of plastic)

–           1 million plastic bags are in use around the world every minute!

–          The average European uses about 500 plastic bags per year

–          80% of marine litter is plastic

–          3.4 million tons of plastic carrier bags are produced in the EU each year. This corresponds to the weight of more than two million cars!

So, do we ban them, or tax them?

Plastic bag free world explains: In order to limit the amount of single use plastic bags some countries are opting for bans, taxation or different forms of voluntary agreements. Banning plastic bags is most effective in cases when they pose an imminent and clear threat, however, bans depend on strong law enforcement capacity. Examples of countries that have banned are Italy, Rwanda or Bangladesh.

More shocking facts:

BAD FOR THE PLANET

–          They take 100s of years to degrade and they not only pollute the environment but actually directly harm many living organisms.

BADLY DESIGNED

–          It doesn’t make sense to produce something that lasts 100s of years when it is going to be used for a few minutes.  It is a contradiction that in a throw-away society nothing good lasts whilst bad products are forever.

EXPENSIVE

–          Producers don’t take responsibility for the impact of their product. Plastic bags are cheap to produce but very expensive to clean from the environment.

BAD FOR YOUR MIND

–          They embody the message of the throw-away society that is trashing the planet.

UNFAIR

–          Future generations will suffer from the pollution caused by plastic bags, without getting any of the benefit. Future generations don’t vote, but they count.

IT GETS INTO THE FOOD CHAIN

–          Pulverised plastic waste in the sea gets into the food chain.

If you are selling retail products to your customers why not use our Outback recyclable paper bags which are available to buy here.