Why are plastic carrier bags a danger to marine life?
Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food. Turtles think the bags are jellyfish, their primary food source. Once swallowed, plastic bags choke animals or block their intestines, leading to an agonising death. On land, many cows, goats and other animals suffer a similar fate when they accidentally ingest plastic bags while foraging for food. Plastic bags cause over 100,000 sea turtle and other marine animal deaths every year when animals mistake them for food.
