July 3 - International Day for the Elimination of Plastic Bags.
Today, July 3 - International Day for the Elimination of Plastic Bags, which is celebrated annually by the world community.
Plastic bags were created in 1959 by Swedish engineer Stan Gustav Tulin to save forests from deforestation and the planet as a whole, and they are currently the biggest polluters on the planet! The fate of polyethylene was unexpected. Before that, there were only paper ones, and the environment also suffered greatly from significant tree felling. To save the planet, plastic bags were created. Lightweight and durable, but reliable polyethylene was needed for multiple use. But Tulin could not have imagined that the bags would be thrown away, and they would be the biggest polluters on the planet. Currently, almost 3 trillion packages are used worldwide each year. That's almost 2 million per minute.
And most of them end up in the environment or just in landfills or in the ocean. And this can affect animals. Increasingly, we hear that birds or marine mammals can fall into plastic traps and suffocate as a result. The fight against the polyethylene problem has been active for more than a decade. But during the pandemic coronavirus infection stopped a bit. The reason is that food delivery companies, numerous shops and restaurants have returned to such packages. Considering them, allegedly, more hygienic in use. Still, environmentalists believe it is a temporary step backwards.
The leading country in the fight against polyethylene is France. This country is the first in the world to ban the use of thin bags used for packaging fruits and vegetables.
A popular alternative to plastic bags are eco-bags, cotton bags, paper bags or even fashionable wicker bags, which have a great look and are safe for the environment.
The negative impact of the discarded plastic bag is undeniable, but the production is extremely efficient. Making a paper bag requires significantly more water and electricity, and cotton requires the use of large amounts of land and water for growing.
The production of plastic bags was established, and they became so cheap that they could be issued almost free of charge. At the moment, it has become such a convenient and at the same time familiar routine for humanity. But plastic is not an absolute evil. Our attitude makes it evil. Plastic pollution is a consequence of our laziness, not the fault of wear-resistant and universal material.
Today, people from all corners of our planet must think about preserving our only home - Planet Earth, realizing that the use of plastic bags causes great harm to the environment.
To prevent this, just refuse the polyethylene. Instead, use paper or reusable cloth bags. When faced with your choice, make it responsible and correct. After all, now a serious question has arisen about our future on Earth!