plastic bags- an envronmental nuisance, ppt
TRANSCRIPT
Plastic BagsPlastic Bags
- an environmental nuisance - an environmental nuisance
According to the National Geographic News September 2, 2003, somewhere According to the National Geographic News September 2, 2003, somewhere between 500 million and a trillion plastic bags are consumed each year.between 500 million and a trillion plastic bags are consumed each year.
Less than 1% plastic bags are recycled. The cost of recycling a bag is much more Less than 1% plastic bags are recycled. The cost of recycling a bag is much more than producing a new one.than producing a new one.
Then…Then… Where Do They Go? Where Do They Go?
A study in 1975 showed oceangoing vessels together dumped 8 million pounds A study in 1975 showed oceangoing vessels together dumped 8 million pounds of plastic annually. The real reason that the world’s landfills were not of plastic annually. The real reason that the world’s landfills were not overflowing because most of it ended up in ocean-fill.overflowing because most of it ended up in ocean-fill.
Bags get blown Bags get blown around…around…
……to different parts of our to different parts of our landslands
……and to our seas, lakes and and to our seas, lakes and rivers.rivers.
Bags find their way into the sea via drains Bags find their way into the sea via drains
and sewage pipesand sewage pipes
Plastic bags have been found floating north Plastic bags have been found floating north of the Arctic Circle near Spitzbergen, and as of the Arctic Circle near Spitzbergen, and as
far south as the Falkland Islandsfar south as the Falkland Islands
Plastic bags photodegrade:Plastic bags photodegrade:Over time they break down into smaller, Over time they break down into smaller, more toxic petro-polymersmore toxic petro-polymers
which eventually contaminate soils and which eventually contaminate soils and waterwayswaterways
As a consequence microscopic particles can As a consequence microscopic particles can enter the food chainenter the food chain
The effect on wildlife can be catastrophicThe effect on wildlife can be catastrophic
Birds become terminally entangledBirds become terminally entangled
Nearly 200 different species of sea life Nearly 200 different species of sea life including whales, dolphins, seals and turtles including whales, dolphins, seals and turtles
die due to plastic bagsdie due to plastic bags
So…So…What do we do?What do we do?
If we use a cloth bag, If we use a cloth bag,
we can save 6 bags a weekwe can save 6 bags a week
That's 24 bags a monthThat's 24 bags a month
That's 288 bags a yearThat's 288 bags a year
That's 22,176 bags That's 22,176 bags in an average life timein an average life time
If just If just 1 out of 51 out of 5 people in our country did people in our country did this we would save 1,330,560,000,000 bags this we would save 1,330,560,000,000 bags over our life timeover our life time
Be self conscious and avoid using plastic bags.Be self conscious and avoid using plastic bags.
THANK YOU.THANK YOU.