The more I read, the more I learn the more I learn, the more I wonder- why plastic and more than that plastic bags are even allowed to be manufactured. I want to share with all, some nasty plastic facts that I found out recently. Let us try to minimise the use of plastic, reuse the plastic that we have and recycle what can not be reused.
NASTY PLASTIC FACTS
* Only 1-3% of plastic bags are recycled worldwide.
* Industry figures show 90% of all grocery bags are plastic.
* Plastic bags are made of polyethylene which is a petroleum product. Production contributes to air pollution and energy consumption.
* It takes 1000 years for polyethylene bags to break down.
* The amount of petroleum used to make 1 plastic bag would drive a car about 11 meters.
* Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photodegrade- breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways. They then enter the foodweb when animals accidently ingest them.
* 86% of all known species of sea turtles have had reported problems of entanglement or ingestine of marine debris.
* Approximately 1 billion seabirds and mammals die each year by ingesting plastic bags. Not only that, these poor animals suffer a painful death. The plastic wraps around their intestines or they choke to death.
Source: http://loveyourearth.org/Plastic_Bag_Facts.html
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