Polythene is one of the main ingredients that enters into the manufacture of plastic bags. These polythene bags have a truly devastating effect on our environment. As these bags are not bio-degradable, the impact that they have on the environment will be felt for many generations to come. Many areas of the globe have begun or already implemented a ban on these types of bags, while others have taken steps to encourage the use of alternatives when engaging in commerce.
The litter from polythene bags is mainly caused by the laziness of humans. People do not secure the bags when they throw them away and the wind then carries them off to litter our environment. With as many as 1 trillion bags being used, the litter they cause is more than an eyesore and has become a serious environmental hazard.
It is estimated that over 300 million polythene bags find their way into the Atlantic Ocean. Many aquatic creatures mistake the bags for food and swallow them. These creatures then end up dead as their airways are constricted or closed. An increasing amount of aquatic life has been washing up on the shores as victims of plastic bag waste. Since all life is interconnected, it can be seen that the death of one animal has an effect on many others. If one species begins to disappear, other species are effected by loss of food sources or loss of predators. This fact has caused the entire ecosystem of the ocean to be thrown off balance by the use of plastic bags.
Plastic bags also have a devastating effect on the land. They can take hundreds and hundreds of years to break down and are filling landfills at a rapid rate. They also find their way into the airways and intestinal tracts of animals on land and cause many deaths. This loss of animal life has an effect on the human population by reducing animals as a potential food source.
One of the best ways to recycle polythene bags is to reuse them as many times as possible. You can also bring them back to the store to be recycled. Many recycling plants will also accept plastic bags in their recycling program.
