10 FACTS ABOUT SINGLE-USE PLASTIC BAGS

The Problem with Plastic Bags

Plastic bags begin as fossil fuels, but end up in landfills or the ocean as deadly waste. Birds mistakenly eat shredded plastic bags, which are toxic. Sea turtles are unable to tell the difference between floating plastic bags and jellyfish. Fish consume thousands of tons plastic per year and pass it on to larger fishes and marine mammals. People also consume microplastics through air and food. Globally, it is estimated that people consume equivalent to a credit-card worth of plastic each week. It is expected that by 2050, there will be as much plastic in the oceans than fish.

The fossil fuel industry is planning to boost plastic production 40% in the next decade. These oil giants are building petrochemical facilities rapidly across the United States in order to convert fracked gas into a plastic. The result is more plastic in the oceans, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and toxic air pollution. This exacerbates climate change, which often affects communities of colour disproportionately.

Ten Facts about Single-Use plastic Bags

1. Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year, which require 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture.

2. Americans use an average of 365 matkassar per person per year. People in Denmark use an average of four plastic bags per year.

3. It only takes about 14 plastic bags for the equivalent of the gas required to drive one mile. 5

4. In 2015 about 730,000 tons of plastic bags, sacks and wraps were generated (including PS, PP, HDPE, PVC & LDPE) in the United States, but more than 87% of those items are never recycled, winding up in landfills and the ocean.

5. About 34% of dead leatherback sea turtle have ingested plastics.

6. The plastic typically used in bottles, bags and food containers contains chemical additives such as endocrine disruptors, which are associated with negative health effects including cancers, birth defects and immune system suppression in humans and wildlife.

7. It takes 1,000 years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. Unfortunately, the bags don't break down completely but instead photo-degrade, becoming microplastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment.

8. Chemical leachates from plastic bags impair the growth of the world’s most important microorganisms, Prochlorococcus, a marine bacterium that provides one tenth of the world’s oxygen.

9. There were 1.9 million grocery bags and other plastic bags collected in the 2018 International Coastal Cleanup.

10. In 2014 California became the first state to ban plastic bags. As of March 2018, 311 local bag ordinances have been adopted in 24 states, including Hawaii.  As of July 2018, 127 countries have adopted some form of legislation to regulate plastic bags.

Ways You Can Help

1. Support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act. This act would phase out disposable plastics, hold industry accountable for its waste, and pause the construction of new plastic-making facilities. Request that your Congress members co-sponsor the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, which would phase out throwaway plastics, hold industry responsible for its waste and halt construction of new plastic-making plants.

2. Reuse whenever possible and practice waste prevention. Always bring your own reusable bags when you go shopping. You can reuse your bags by washing them regularly and thoroughly drying them. 15

3. Formosa Plastics is attempting to build a massively polluting petrochemical facility in Louisiana. This plant would degrade wetlands and worsen the plastic pollution crisis. Please sign the petition to ask President Biden not to renew Formosa Plastics federal permit. The permit is suspended by the Army Corps of Engineers and currently under reevaluation.

4. Executive action by President Biden is the fastest way to address the plastic pollution problem. Tell him to take action against plastics in the interest of our health, climate, and wildlife.