...Plastic has become pretty much a lifestyle here in America; We use plastic cards to make transactions every day, we’re given plastic bowls and utensils with our lunch and we collect a countless number of plastic bags from our local stores daily. These days, there is so much hoopla about banning these convenient little bags that many of us love. Opposers of these bags claim (or were misled to think) that they are not environmentally responsible. Before we take on a war against these plastic bags with hopes of saving the world one bag at a time, as citizens we should get the facts into perspective about alternatives being advertised before making earth saving decisions. Also, what happened to being presented with choices and choosing the ones we find to be more responsible? Regularly, you may hear critics stating that yearly a billion bags are not recycled and filling up our landfills. This is in fact true. Plastic bags take . To remedy this problem, has anyone ever asked the question as to why we don’t just find a way to recycle the bags with all the technology available these days? Matter of fact, the truth is that these bags are already recyclable! Plastic bags can be recycled into things like plastic wood which can be used to make backyard decking components, shopping crates, park benches or even more plastic bags. The EPA reported that only 1% of these bags are being recycled? As responsible citizens we should all get together to push for new laws that encourage...
Words: 704 - Pages: 3
...Most people do not realize, but plastic bags are not just the bags you use to carry your purchases. There are quite a few bags that can be recycled such as plastic bags that your newspaper comes in, bread bags, dry cleaning bags, and paper towel wrappings just to name a few. As you can see the list would go on and on. So that is why Richmond as well as other communities should feel compelled to recycle plastic bags to reduce, recycle, and reuse in order to save our environment. When this bag epidemic started is really not the issue, as everyone knows that there is a problem and they need to know what to do about it and plastic bags are everywhere these days and certainly in places that they should not be. So how are we in Richmond to deal with this problem? Well that is easy reduce, recycle, and reuse. As Rex Springston of the Times-Dispatch Staff Writer stated in his November 16, 2010 article “If you don’t need a plastic bag, you don’t need to take a plastic bag”. So people there is the challenge don’t take it, if you don’t need it. If we all would recycle our plastic bags we would reduce waste and become one state which would be included in a growing national trend nationwide with more than 832 million pounds recycled in 2008 which is a 28 percent increase since 2005. So what does that mean for you as a person who recycles? By recycling plastic bags and wraps you are providing valuable material to live a second life as durable decking boards, fences...
Words: 635 - Pages: 3
...30 October 2014 The True Price for Plastic Did you know that plastic bags are one of the largest sources of litter in the world? According to research discussed on “How Stuff Works”, plastic bags can take anywhere from two hundred to a thousand years to break down. They also give off toxic chemicals when burned, so burning is a hazardous way to rid of the material. Because of this it is difficult to safely dispose of plastic. According to the same site, less than 1% of plastic bags used in the US are recycled due to recycling costs being much higher than the recovered plastic is worth. States are attempting to find new strategies to reduce the number of plastic carry-out bags from grocery stores and other retail outlets to help with the issues arising. They believe regulating the use of bags can lower harmful impacts to oceans, rivers, lakes and the wildlife that inhabits them. Reducing bag use can also relieve pressure on landfills and waste management. One of the methods being experimented with is charging for the plastic bags given out at grocery stores. This is definitely something stores should try to help out both economically and environmentally. Economically, charging for plastic could help the world in a few ways. It would profit the community, it would put more money into recycling as more people buy reusable bags, and it could cut costs on manufacturing these bags, making it possible to put money elsewhere. Charging for plastic would create an extra income for grocers...
Words: 1660 - Pages: 7
...A soccer ball made of plastic bags and twine is a memento because on the team named the fugees, Luma Mufleh, the head coach started with nothing, no soccer balls, no uniforms, no cones or goals to run drills. But the team overcame that obstacle of also not having soccer cloths, soccer shoes, soccer balls, and uniforms for the players. Through the book Luma really encouraged the kids to stay positive nor what they have, like having to play with a soccer ball made out of a bundle of plastic bags and twine. No matter the color black or white the team played as a team and and really showed off, and besides they had to use a soccer ball made of plastic bags and twine. Luma was hesitant about moving to America, while traveling to America it was only her, no dad, mom, sister, or brother. The hijab is a good memento because it is a way to remember her culture while in America. The hijab also shows Americans that she is from a...
Words: 717 - Pages: 3
... | |1. “ There is never a single way to design anything, however, |1. This quote is very encouraging to me because when I meet | |and just as there are alternate ways to fold a piece of paper |something frustrated, I always believe that there are some | |into an envelope, so there are alternate ways to make paper |manners to figure out the problem. For example, when I did the| |bags”. |math question, there is definitely have two or three ways to | | |solve the problems and get the same answers. In my point of | | |view, the author keep reminding his main idea “there is no | | |perfect thing on the design”, that’s why people, designers or | | |inventors can have the space to improve their design or | |Chapter 8：Design out of a Paper Bag |things. Under the circumstances, there always come out the new| |SMALL THINGS CONSIDERED |things and new ideas to promote their product, design and so | |（Why there is no perfect design）by Henry Petroski |on. | |, P. 100 ...
Words: 721 - Pages: 3
...is to someone, one would simply say it is a bag that inflates during a car crash to save someone's life. But to dig deeper, what is the science behind an airbag and does it always work? An airbag is a nylon bag in the steering wheel of a vehicle. When the censor in the steering wheel goes off that an accident has happened, the airbag inflates within two milliseconds. Within the nylon bag, there is a mixture of sodium azide (NaN3), and potassium nitrate (KNO3), that react when the airbag sensor goes off (Brian). This reaction causes an explosion, “[filling] the airbag with about 67 liters of nitrogen gas- which is enough to inflate a normal air bag” (Scientific America). Theoretically, in the right amount, this will inflate the airbag to the right amount to save the person's life. However, this is just theoretically. In some instances, the airbag may inflate too much or too little, and fail to save a life. Although the scientists that design the airbags use ut-most caution, not every experiment will turn out the same and inflate the airbag perfectly. In an experiment conducted here at "Charley's Newspapers" we stimulated the reaction between baking soda and vinegar by blowing up a plastic bag that was designed to save an egg. This was to get a feel on how accurate an airbag may be. Using very precise stoichiometry, our scientists here had found that .8 grams of baking soda and 11 mL of vinegar should theoretically blow the plastic bag up enough to save the egg's life. However,...
Words: 348 - Pages: 2
...even homes. The problem is many energy efficient items are so expensive, that not everyone can afford to pay for an energy efficient car or an energy efficient home, but there are still many ways to help save the planet earth. Think about what is in that trash bag before you throw it away. Saving the trash could possibly mean saving the earth. If consumers could do something with the trash they discard the manufacturer would not have to use raw natural materials to make products. The average person generates four pounds of trash per day (Brown Par 2 ). If consumers could recycle some of that trash they could reduce landfills. Landfills are a place where your discarded trash goes; it is then buried. Not only are landfills not good for the environment, but they are not good for the wildlife. Another good reason for recycling is it saves energy because the big companies do not have to burn as much energy to produce something new. By using recycled materials it cuts down on the energy consumption as well as the cost for consumers. That means more money in everyone’s pocket. Consumers can also save a lot money recycling because instead of buying something new they can just turn that plastic bottle into something or plastic bag into something useful. Everyone wants the planet to be around for years to come. So people should want to preserve our natural resourses and protect our wildlife. People who choose not to recycle should understand the benefits of recycling. For example if you...
Words: 736 - Pages: 3
...AUSTIN The future is upon us. Store-goers will soon need to re-evaluate their shopping experience, as Austin will be going bagless beginning March 1, 2013. All consumers use plastic or paper bags on a regular basis, whether while retail shopping or grocery shopping. That’s all about to change, however; the passage of this new law means that those paper and plastic bags are on the way out. Single-use bag use will be diminished, re-usable bags are headed to the forefront, and shoppers will be getting used to a new experience when the head to their local grocery early next year. BACKGROUND According to a city report released this year, “Austinities use 263 million plastic bags a year – that’s more than 330 bags a year for every resident. It costs the city – meaning it costs us the taxpayers – about $850,000 a year to dispose of plastic bags.”(Lisheron, 2012) Consumers in Austin have already started to get a taste of what is to come. Companies, such as Walgreens, have implemented a trial test on stores to gauge the impact of the law being passed. Candace White, an avid shopper at the Slaughter and South Congress Walgreens, was quite confused when the cashier thanked her for coming but did not place her products in a plastic bag. The cashier informed her about Austin going bagless and she was given a free recycled bag. Like most Austinities, she was not informed of the new law which is soon to be enforced. This paper will reinforce the reasons why going bagless is good for all involved...
Words: 3224 - Pages: 13
...Sam Kouri Prof. Alton Artist Biography 13 March 2016 Closer to Love “If power cannot be used to love human beings, why try to conquer it?-Pascale Marthine Tayou(Jouanno). Pascal Marthin Tayou, later feminized to Pascale Marthine Tayou, was born in 1967 to a new generation on Cameroonians, a generation that was now longer conquered by the French (Magnin). On January 1st 1960 President Ahmadou Ahido gained independence for his people by uniting the formerly British Southern Cameroons with French Cameroun to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon (Chika Okeke-Agulu). At this time Tayou was pursuing a career in law hoping that is would lead to a kind of purity. He later fled the profession after realizing the system was corrupt and turned to an old passion of his, art. Tayou stated, “when I was young I wrote and I drew. It was my way or rebelling.” (Bellmann) Beyond being part of his own life Tayou’s works today is based on the premise that art cannot be separate from life. Pascale Marthine Tayou is a chameleon able to change between many tiles such as sculptor, drawer, installator, performer, and video artist as well as a poet, writer, director and actor in his own plays and films (Bellmann) . His works might individually seem formless and out of control, viewed together in an instillation his works are like a series of interconnected dynamic networks that also like the chameleon blend together to create one message. Through Pascale Marthine Tayou postcolonial, modernist...
Words: 1698 - Pages: 7
...Here are some of the organizations. Keep America Beautiful, is the nation's leading nonprofit that brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities. NWRA. The National Waste & Recycling Association is an association that responds the private sector waste and recycling service industry. SWANA. The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) is the leading solid waste association serving more than 8,300 members from both the public and private sectors. They have a mission of promoting environmentally and economically sound management of municipal solid waste in North America. The earth is dying and it's our fault, it's not too late to help the earth live a little longer if we start to recycle. We can help reduce the growth of landfills and we can help stop pollution in the air and we can help the ocean stay clean and help stop deforestation, all of these things I have listed are reasons why the earth is dying so we need to do something to help stop all of that. We can recycle and that will help our...
Words: 668 - Pages: 3
...Americans seems to have fallen under the spell over another fad trend. No longer do people see the lone garage bin by the curb of neighborhood households without seeing the recycling bin within arms reach. All over the United States, when it's time to take out the garbage, millions of people take out carefully sorted bundles of newspapers and cardboard, bags of aluminum and steel cans, and plastic containers--all destined for recycling. It has become a routine of our daily lifestyle, for most, to throw away empty soda bottles or cardboard cereal boxes directly into the recycling bin instead of the garbage pale. While it may seem to some that recycling is beneficial to the environment, it is actually true that recycling does exactly the opposite in cleansing the world of unwanted debris. One cannot disregard that recycling has made incredible innovations in disposing and reusing recyclable materials all over the world. But, today’s recycling is not effective and efficient enough to be given “garbage” and to come out with recycled materials without negative effects to the environment or rise in cost to the general tax payers. The general public should be aware of the environmental effects of recycling, and to challenge the image, shared by the public, industry, media and government, of recycling as the “good guy”; in turn distracting people from the truth of environmental protection and reduced consumption. The health of the environment cannot be seen as a whole, but as in parts...
Words: 1050 - Pages: 5
...tax 5 II. THE LEVY ON PLASTIC BAGS IN IRELAND 8 II.1. Summary 8 II.2.The nature of the levy 10 II.3. Implementation and enforcement 12 II.4. Results and impacts 12 III. LESSON FROM PLASTIC BAGS LEVY IN IRELAND 17 III.1. Ireland’s lessons 17 III.2. Plastic bags levy in Vietnam: 19 CONCLUSION 23 REFERENCES 24 INTRODUCTION Now that people increasingly pay more attention to environmental issues, they are manifested in all areas of life. Air pollution? Do not worry. Already a car powered by electricity or eco-gasoline or even grass. Water pollution? Do not worry. Already advanced wastewater treatment technologies. So what if the pollution is caused by the consumption of plastic bags? Not easy to answer. Let’s stand in the shoes of a public economist. The consumption of plastic bags brings a lot of benefits for everyone. If you are a manufacturer of plastic bags, you will get a lot of money as your profit. If you are a consumer of plastic bags, you will be satisfied with the benefits that they bring you. They are cheap, very light and of course, very easy to throw away after used. Now the problem has arisen. Have you ever wondered where plastic bags will be after discarded? We can say for sure that they do not disappear. They stay and pollute the environment. Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik used to say: "The impact of this plastic waste can be seen littering our landscape, threatening our wildlife and accumulating as 'plastic soup' in the Pacific Ocean...
Words: 7613 - Pages: 31
...recycled trash. In other words, they must recycle waste to make other products. For example, cardboard boxes will be transformed into take-out bags. Another method involves the government. In which, the government may regulate a nationwide program and could serve as a “matchmaker” to bring creators and users of recycled products together. In other countries they had used the closed-loop approach, but would this guarantee a solution in the United States? Businesses and the public would see it as the government getting involved too much so no it won’t solve it completely. Overall, trash will not have much value in the near future. New York is trying all methods to cut waste. According to the Department of Sanitation, New York will be contributing zero waste to landfills by 2030.They encourage all residents to reuse as much waste as they can. Residents should opt out from receiving junk mail and even donate or sell their unused items. Starting on February 15, 2017, New York will pass a law that will charge customers five cents for each plastic, paper, or cloth bag provided from stores. The Department of sanitation believes this will reduce the amount of waste in landfills. Many bags end up being thrown away, caught on bushes or trees, littering beaches, and clogging storm drain. This method will encourage customers to use a reusable bag every time they shop. On the other hand, New York is handling businesses a bit different. The Department of Sanitation advises businesses to find...
Words: 1010 - Pages: 5
...2013, City Hall has grown the blue cart recycling program to seven communities serving over 600,000 homes. “This recycling and education program affirms Mayor Emanuel’s commitment to create a healthier and more sustainable Chicago.” (2013). In the first place, residents received information through the mail on how and when the service is available in their neighborhood. The recyclables are picked from alleys on a bi-weekly schedule by the City of Chicago with the help from two companies hired to assist in collections. Residents with curbside service will have their recyclables picked up on the same day as their regular garbage collection. Unlike trash, only the items on the list should be placed in bins for recycling, to include paper, plastics, glass,...
Words: 1512 - Pages: 7
...greatest, most extraordinary, plastic waste tide ever faced. Washed out on the coasts in obvious and clearly visible form, the plastic pollution display obviously seen on the beaches is only the preface of the greater story that unfolded further away in the world’s oceans, yet mostly originating from where people stand: the land. In 2008, our global plastic consumption worldwide has been estimated at 260 million tons, and, according to a 2012 report by Global Industry Analysts, plastic consumption is to reach 297.5 million tons by 2015. Plastic is versatile, lightweight, flexible, moisture resistant, strong, and relatively inexpensive. Those are the attractive qualities that lead us, around the world, to such a voracious appetite and over-consumption of plastic goods. However, durable and very slow to degrade, plastic materials that are used in the production of so many products all, ultimately, become waste with staying power. Our tremendous attraction to plastic, coupled with an undeniable behavioral propensity of increasingly over-consuming, discarding, littering and thus polluting, has become a combination of lethal nature. Plastic bags are in use by consumers worldwide since the 1960’s, (Mc Kinley, 2010). These bags are sometimes called single-use bags, referring to carrying items from a store to a home. Open bags with carrying handles are used in large numbers worldwide. Stores often provide them as a convenience to shoppers. The number of plastic bags used worldwide has been...
Words: 8501 - Pages: 35
