Why Plastic Bags are Evil

plastic bags: they'll getcha.

video by Kristen Roan


more information on:

Why plastic bags are killing us:
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/08/10/plastic_bags/

the North Pacific trash gyre:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch

How we're eating our own plastic:
http://consumer-responsibility.suite101.com/article.cfm/plastic_and_the_food_...

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• green
• plastic
• environment
• save
• the
• world

[roananda]

I encourage you to check out this Salon Article linked to above on the problems that occur when plastic bags are not recycled (if you can excuse the mention of dead animals). This video is meant as a playful nudge to encourage people to think before using more plastic than they need. I think you would agree that reducing consumption of this resource is a goal worth striving for.

[roananda]

Hi fritstoofvlees! Thanks for taking the time to post such detailed comments. There is no doubt that plastics as a material are incredibly useful, and when used carefully and recycled, can be a force for good. This video focuses on the specific problem of plastic shopping bags. The fact remains that people are not perfect and these bags are not always recycled, due to their lightweight nature and pesky tendency to float away. Problems like the North Pacific Trash Gyre do exist.

[SuperPolarbear84]

@fritstoofvlees its not just about are lives god never created the world for just us he created it for dolphins,whales,monkeys,orangu­tans,pandas,lions,tigers,zebra­s,elaphants,dogs,cats, birds,fish and countless other things now whales and dolphins are not lower than us in intelligience in fact they live with each other in harmony unlike us lunatics who go around destroying our own planet and you know what else pisses me off the japanese killing whales so go SEA SHEPARD AND PAUL WATSON

[fritstoofvlees]

10. Plastics make our lives safer: airbags, safety belts, baby seats, bike helmets, medical devices… are just some

examples.

dear kristen, plastic is the best invention ever. people like you should stop taking conclusions based on nothing but pictures of dead animals. learn before you speak.

[fritstoofvlees]

9. Plastics are the champions of prevention:

Plastics packaging represents 17 % all European packaging and yet packages over 50% of the consumer goods.

Over a ten-year period it is estimated that plastics packaging per unit has been reduced by around 28% thanks to technology

Without plastics packaging, the weight of packaging would increase four-fold, production costs and energy consumption would be

doubled, and waste volume increased by 150%

[fritstoofvlees]

8. No other material can compete with plastics when it comes to meeting technological demands while preserving

resources.

[fritstoofvlees]

6. Renewable energies rely on plastics: solar panels, wind turbines.

7. Over 1 billion people in the world lack access to safe water. Plastics can preserve and distribute water economically,

reliably and safely

[fritstoofvlees]

5. Plastics are too valuable to waste – even at end-of-life. After serving a useful purpose, plastics can either be

recycled or used as an alternative fuel. Plastic waste has a calorific value at least equal to coal and with lower

CO2 emissions.

[fritstoofvlees]

4. Plastics products in use save oil:

100 kg of plastics parts in cars reduces oil consumption by about 12 million tonnes each year in Europe, reducing CO2 emissions by 30

million tonnes a year.

Plastics help reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions from our homes: the innovative use of plastics can reduce domestic fuel

consumption to 3 litres per square metre, compared to an average of 20 litres.

[fritstoofvlees]

Environment protection: plastics help save resources – fossil fuels and energy. Plastics products save water and food.

3. Plastics consume only a tiny fraction – just 4 %– of the world’s oil, as feedstock.