Sacking the Environment

When I was visiting family in South Africa five years ago, I noticed that stores did not freely give out plastic bags with purchases. As an environmentalist, I was secretly delighted but as a North American, I thought that this idea would never fly back home.

Fast forward to 2009 and a major Canadian grocery chain has announced that they will charge customers 5 cents for every plastic bag used. Their research indicated that approximately 55 percent fewer bags are distributed when people have to pay for them. What a novel idea! At last! It’s slightly disappointing that this step was implemented by the private sector and not by the government. Every week in Canada, 55 million bags are taken from grocery stores, plus millions more from other stores.* On average, Canadians dispose of 16 – 18 kgs (35 – 40 lbs) of plastic each year.

Plastic bags are made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. So even if you are consciously limiting your car use but are still accepting plastic bags with every purchase, your net effect on the environment is zero. Also, a lot of plastic bags end up in the ocean, killing a variety of species such as sea turtles, whales and birds as they mistake the bags for food or get physically entangled in it.

What can you do about plastic bags?

1. Shop with reusable bags. Keep them handy in your car and/or keep a small one in your handbag.

2. Refuse plastic bags when they’re given to you in stores. Say “no, thanks” loudly and proudly so others can hear you and follow your example.

3. Reuse and then recycle the plastic bags you have now. Visit http://www.myplasticbag.ca/returntoretail/default.php to find out where you can take your bags to be recycled. Ironically, the website advocates the “responsible” use of plastic bags.

* Living Green Barrie, “Plastic  Bags,” http://www.livinggreen.info/plastic_bags.htm