Plastic troubles..

Assalamualaikum..

The plastic bag. We can get them when we purchase something, anything. May it be a cup of corn from the side road stall or a classic Jimmy Choo heel from the trendiest mall. Some are plain, some are colourful, some are big and some are small. Some are cleverly made for high-end branding while some are specially designed just to take out the trash. The plastic bag is an efficient way to carry goods. It is hygienic, light in weight yet considerably strong.

But what happens to the plastic bag after we’ve put on our heels?

Most likely, they’ll go in the bin. Even for those who are thriftier will only reuse the bag a couple of times. After a little wear and tear, the bag loses its value and is disposed of. Most of them make it to the rubbish dump and are buried underground. Some make it out to the seas and dance with the waves. While others fly freely going wherever the wind takes them.

The affect?

This...

Plastic bags pollute the earth. They have been found roaming the harsh lands of the Article circle, up North and they have also been found drifting in the Falkland Islands, down South. In between these two distant lands, plastic bags stir up havoc.

Plastic bags do not decompose, they photo degrade. Over time, they break down into smaller, more toxic petro-polymers. It takes 1000 years for one plastic bag to completely photo degrade. Even when they do, they contaminate the soil.

Plastic bags kill wildlife. Nearly 200 different sea life including whales, dolphins, seals and turtles die due to plastic bags. They die after ingesting plastic bags which they mistake for food. Birds get entangled in the plastic bag and die a slow and painful death.

Plastic bags litter our streets and are scattered throughout our forests. They clog drains and natural water pathways and cause floods.

Plastic bags are made from crude oil. This black goo is precious and limited. Crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and other organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the earth's surface. It takes thousands of years for all these molecules and compounds to gel and make such a magical liquid that the world currently depends on. Such a prized resource. Approximately 60 - 100 million barrels of oil are required to make the world’s plastic bags each year. The manufacture of plastic bags add tonnes of carbon emissions into the air annually. Between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year.

1 trillion? Hang on a sec. How much is that again?

1 trillion is one million million million. That’s the number 1, followed by 18 zero’s!

Think twice when you use a plastic bag. Look at the bigger picture of things.

Reduce your use of the plastic bag.

Assalamualaikum..