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Plastic Baggies & Pollution

Pollution of the land and waters of the Earth has become a significant issue over the past several decades. Plastic baggies play a role in the pollution problem, as they are made and distributed in large quantities and are discarded frequently. Marine animals and their environments are negatively effected by the pollution of plastics baggies. The best way to reduce the negative impact of plastic baggies is to reduce the use, reuse or recycle them as much as possible.

  1. Problems With Plastic

    • According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than 12 percent of solid waste is made up of plastics, of which plastic baggies make up a significant portion. Since 1960, there has been a large increase in the production of plastics, which has in turn increased the amount of waste and pollution associated with plastic products. Plastic baggies are considered nondurable goods, meaning that they are not intended for long-term use and are discarded often. Due to the way that plastic is manufactured, decomposition of plastic materials is slow and plastic waste materials, such as plastic baggies, contribute to landfills and environmental pollution.

    Plastic Baggies and Marine Environment

    • Plastic baggies are a significant part of marine debris, which has a serious impact on marine animals and environment. Marine life, such as turtles, whales or seabirds, can mistake floating plastic baggies for food and ingest them. Animals can also become entangled in discarded plastic baggies causing suffocation, increased vulnerability to predators or starvation. In addition to ingestion and entanglement involving plastic baggies, which can can cause death, illness, or serious harm to marine life, the environment is altered by marine debris as well, causing other types of harm. For example, plastic bags can sink to the ocean floor, causing damage to coral reefs and other marine environments.

    Economic Issues

    • Because plastic baggies are distributed in large numbers by supermarkets and grocery stores at no cost, people may think of plastic baggies as being free or without cost. According to Californians Against Waste, plastic baggies actually cost taxpayers millions of dollars each year. In California, like many states, the state and public agencies spend millions of dollars each year to manage plastic bag pollution and reverse the negative effects of plastic baggies on the environment. These costs include the labor, equipment, and resources needed to remove plastic baggies from public waterways, parks and other areas.

    Recycling Plastic Baggies

    • Reducing the use, reusing and recycling plastic baggies is the best way to prevent the problems associated with plastic baggies and pollution. According to the EPA, the overall recycling rate for plastic products is only 7 percent, or 2.1 million tons in 2009. Using durable plastic items, such as reusable containers, or durable glass or metal containers, can help reduce the impact that plastic baggies have on the Earth. When the use of plastic baggies is absolutely necessary, using them multiple times, repurposing them after use and recycling them to be reprocessed by plastics companies can reduce the impact as well.

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