International Plastic Bag-Free Day 2011 Is July 3

Today is the International Plastic Bag-Free Day.

 

Don't use plastic bags.

Did you know the ocean contains more plastic bags than algae?

Some interesting facts about plastic bags:

• Bangladesh and Mumbai ban plastic bags as during monsoon season, plastic bags get caught in storm drains and can cause clogging and eventually floodings.
• Plastics degrades in the course of the years. But it degrades slowly and takes between 400 - 1000 years to disintegrate
• Plastic bags photodegrade, which means the sun breaks them down to smaller bits until they become microscopic. These small bits pollute the air and our water which we depend on so much.
• The plastic industry makes 800 billion euros a year
• The amount of plastic produced since the beginning of the plastic age is enough to wrap the entire planet in plastic bags 6 times
• In Europe, 1 million people earn their living through the plastics industry. 
• Birds and fish often mistake it for food. The California Coastal Commission reports that gray whales have been found dead with plastic bags in their stomach. In addition, they feed their young with this offspring. Plastic bags in their stomachs make them feel full which eventually leads to starvation.

Take a look at this website and find out more reasons for avoiding the use of plastic bags:

http://www.zerowasteeurope.eu/2012/06/join-the-3rd-of-july-international-bag-free-day-2/