Single-use plastic bags, a staple of American life, have got to go, the United Nations’ top environmental official said Monday.
Although recycling bags is on the rise in the United States, an estimated 90 billion thin bags a year, most used to handle produce and groceries, go unrecycled. They were the second most common form of litter after cigarette butts at the 2008 International Coastal Cleanup Day sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy, a marine environmental group.
“Single use plastic bags which choke marine life, should be banned or phased out rapidly everywhere. There is simply zero justification for manufacturing them anymore, anywhere,” said Achim Steiner, executive director of the U.N. Environment Programme. His office advises U.N. member states on environmental policies.
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Steiner’s declaration accompanied a UNEP report that identifies plastic as the most pervasive form of ocean litter. According to the report, “Plastic, the most prevalent component of marine debris, poses hazards because it persists so long in the ocean, degrading into tinier and tinier bits that can be consumed by the smallest marine life at the base of the food web.”
The ban is already being tested in China, where retailers giving out thin bags can be fined up to $1,464. According to one nationwide survey, 40 billion fewer plastic bags were given out in grocery stores after the law’s enactment. In addition, Ireland managed to cut single-use plastic bag consumption 90 percent by levying a fee on each bag that consumers use.
June 9th, 2009 at 10:02 am
That actually makes sense! Nothing wrong with shops charging for carrier bags, either. Most countries in Europe have been ‘plastic conscious’ for ages, and Britain is slowly catching up with the idea. Bring it on….
Chris Cudnoski Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Thank you to all trolls and patriots alike for using cuss words on this forum. The government “loves the children” of this nation too much to let them be exposed to such language. Internet 2 will impose fines on websites that allow such language to be used. It will be up to the website host to either pay the fines, pay a fee to allow x-rated content, or pay a moderator to censor your comments since you can’t seem to censor yourselves.
BTW 80% the so-called patriots who make valid, cogent points, and then throw in 3 or 4 cuss words, are paid or unpaid trolls. All they have to do is say something true, that you can agree with, then they pile on the vulgarity which will lead to this sites downfall, and you allow this to happen because you happen to agree with the statement they made.
If you are not a troll, stop the cussing right now!
Marine Reply:
June 10th, 2009 at 7:22 am
YOUR MASTERS WOULD BE PROUD OF YOU CHRIS! OH WAIT I DIDN’T CUSS BUT YOUR MASTERS WOULD BE PROUD!
June 9th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Here an inconvenient truth… plastic bags uses less energy to manufacture and reuse than paper bags. http://reason.org/news/show/1003006.html
meanjean Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Thank you for the link, Ray. I live in Hollywood CA and already Ralph’s grocery is using paper bags withouth the handles. Impossible to carry more then one, so everyone is asking for paper + plastic in order to carry them. What’s the point in that?? I reuse all plastic bags as I have cats and need them for the catbox, however, if they are going to charge us 25 cents per bag soon, it will be a disaster for those of us on screaming budgets.
Ray Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 11:23 am
That’s illarious. It’s like wearing a belt with suspenders. But, yeah, people should research and read a little before getting into this environmental trash train. That little study in Ireland is very indicative of what people do with the plastic bags… they are reused at a much higher rate than paper bags and if the store plastic bags are not avail, we will buy them, big and green!!!
June 9th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Cool! More lifestyle “adjustments”, but not quite the 1/2 reduction in the population, like the UK’s environmental adviser pleaded for.
Jeremy Reply:
June 10th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
The ends are a good cause , but the means is not. The UN is not the place for this kinda problem to be solved.
June 9th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Good news indeed. This is long overdue.
The thing that has always pissed me off is that with hemp we could have already had bio-degradable plastic-like bags all along.
Steve Williams Reply:
June 10th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Yep. And hemp canvas bags as well. And for those that want them, hemp paper bags.
I’ve been using a canvas shopping bag. And I’m tired of seeing plastic bags scattered all over everywhere all over the landscape. A real eyesore.
Jeremy Reply:
June 10th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
They already make bio-degradable plastic, and its not made from hemp, I just laid thousands of feet of it on our farm today.
June 9th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Here in Belgium shops are offering bags entirely made of corn. Plastic bags are still available, but they cost 10 eurocents and you often get a nasty “forgot-to-bring-your-reusable-bag-again!?”-look when you buy one
Ray Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Yeah, and the last time I was in Belgium, they asked me to pay a fee to go piss.
Aussie Bob Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Yeah,
The last time we were in Belgium we had to pay to have a shower at a van park.
When I asked the proprietor where the showers were(as we Aussies shower daily like u dudes)he looked non-plussed and said: “showers….?”
Hmmmmm.
June 9th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
i urge a global ban of rich greedy lazy lying pigs that work at the fucked up rich mans club the un fuck you
June 9th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Nothing like taking a scenic drive on a beautiful day AND SEE AN UGLY PLASTIC walfart BAG STUCK TO A FENCE BLOWIN IN THE WIND…Utterly disgusting—SAME AS THE BASTARD CHEMTRAILS POLLUTING AND CLUTTERING THE SKY..
Steve Williams Reply:
June 10th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Ditto from me. It’s damn annoying seeing these things glomped up to just about everything.
June 9th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Everyone should use cloth bags–WHICH WILL DECOMPOSE..RAPIDLY…
June 9th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Good, its about freakin TIME!
Next, we need to BAN all SUV’s and all red-meat eating!
I say confiscate the gas=guzzlers and arrest the meat eaters-
Throw them all INTO FEMA CONCENTRATION CAMPS.
Enough of this madness!
Steve
Global Environmentalist
http://geocities.com/strategicearth
gimmeabreak Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Stephen, thanks for the post. I like to hear from people who have their priorities straight. Throw gas buyers and meat eaters in concentration camps? Nobody could ever call you, “Gobal Environmentalist,” a threat to peaceful humanity. Be sure and give Al Gore and the rest of the psycho NWO crowd a big kiss from me.
Ray Reply:
June 10th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Seventy years ago, the Global Environmentalists were called Nazis. Read: http://www.spunk.org/texts/pla.....peter.html
June 9th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
All of you left wing peckerheads including Achim Steiner can kiss my big fat A*S*S!!
June 9th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Stephen,
I have looked at your under developed website and I’m not impressed. You’re obviously mislead by the media, which became most evident by your spin on Sustainable Development a/k/a UN Agenda 21. You have either not taken the time to properly read the enter UN Agenda 21 document which can be located on the UN website or you educational attainment is such that some of the wording is unable to be digested in it’s actual form. I support cleaner environments however when it is forced upon us by means of government mandate, I consider it to be a violation to our freedoms. Our government is in the process of “attempting” to monitor the mileage on our cars. It will get to the point where we are not able to travel outside of our own state. Agenda 21 considers owning property a violation, wants to build super highways that lead from Mexico to Canada, and to create a North American Union! A Union which will undoubtedly begin with a central banking system much like they are instilling in the Middle East as we speak, which is the first to a one world currency! Please pull your head out of your rear end long enough to read and hear the truth! If you want to save the environment fine but you must support and find more human freedom loving ways to do so!
Ray Reply:
June 10th, 2009 at 9:35 am
The tools are already in place to monitor your mileage and your auto emissions. If you have a mandatory auto emission testing program in your state, they already have all the information they need to tax you based on your mileage and car emissions. They just need to turn on a computer, and they have all of it there.
June 10th, 2009 at 4:13 am
THANK GOD FOR THE U.N. They will save us from global warming. how clever, that they thought up a ban on plastic bags. i wonder if they thought of it themselves?
June 10th, 2009 at 9:23 am
where have all the flowers gone? long time covered in wallfart bags!
where have all the flowers gone? the humans wouldnt use hemp bags!
June 10th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Good. Reusable bags, crates and biodegradable cardboard boxes are better solutions to carrying groceries home than creating more garbage with endless plastic bags from wal mart. It’s not like we don’t have enough garbage already.
Unfortunately it appears the masses sometimes need leaders to help guide them toward less wastefulness and more responsible behavior.
Ray Reply:
June 10th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Go read my link above and learn something…
June 10th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
american citizen declares ban on the fat rich lazy lying greedy useless united nations cluster fuck
meanjean Reply:
June 10th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Do you ever have anything intelligent to say??
June 20th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Hey there, I discovered your site a little while ago and have been reading through all the info slowly. I thought would post my comment and just say hi there & let you know I really enjoy your site so far. Will definately be stopping by to read more when I have a bit more time !
Thanks,
Mary