Are plastic bags really that bad?
Here are some top facts: • Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide, with more than a third of that consumed in the US. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year. • According to the US EPA, the US goes through 340 billion plastic shopping bags annually. (Estimated cost to retailers is $4 billion) • Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food. • Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, they photodegrade – breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest. • Plastic bags are among the top items of debris most often found in coastal cleanups, according to the nonprofit Center for Marine Conservation. • In June 2009, the United Nations called on all countries to ban plastic bags, due to the destruction of plastic on marine life and
