Abby Miner

Period 1
English 10H
Mrs. Clark

PUTTING AN END TO PLASTIC

Today, most people use a plastic bag on a daily basis, whether it be carrying
groceries, picking up after you dog, or using it as a lunch sack. The idea of plastic bags
being around has become a part of our culture; it has become a convenience that
people are accustomed to having. On the other hand, as we use more and more bags,
they are found in places they dont belong: litter, caught in trees, blowing in the wind, or
in a street gutter. Plastic causes masses of trash and should be banned in order to stop
this problem. Bans on plastic should be enforced in our society because of the buildup
of trash they cause, and the harm they bring to life on earth.

Plastic bags and bottles have contributed to enormous piles of trash and debris.
These piles are on land and in the oceans. In 2012, Americans generated about 32
million tons of plastic waste, including shopping bags and beverage bottles, and
recycled only about 9 percent of it (Majerol). When using this much plastic, people
should be recycling just as much in order to make up the difference. However, by this
evidence, we see that only a tiny fraction is being recycled, compared to the amount
that it being used. Because we are not recycling like we need to be, these plastic bags

and bottles should not be allowed. In addition, gigantic masses of junk, including plastic,
make their way to our earths oceans. According to the article Plastic Waste in
Oceans, these Garbage patches are areas in the Pacific Ocean with high
concentrations of plastic debris (Plastic Waste in the Oceans). Some of these masses
end up being twice the size of Texas! As people throughout the world use more and
more plastic bags and bottles, these mounds of trash are just going to keep going up in
size. If we set, and enforce, bans on plastic, specifically plastic bags, these enormous
pileups can be reduced. With these things considered, others might argue that plastic
bags are essential to daily life because not only are they used in grocery stores, they
can be used for many different purposes and uses. Some of these purposes might
include lunch bags, trash cans liners, transporting items, or picking up after your dog.
However, this opinion is incorrect. Although these bags can be reused, were talking
about cutting back on a substance that is doing more harm than good (Plumb). These
bags are causing many problems. Not all of the bags will end up being reused or
recycled. Even if someone does reuse one, it still ends up being debris and contributes
to the trash piles that fill our landfills. Plastic bags bans should be enforced because of
their contributions to debris buildup.

Restrictions on plastic bags should be carried out because of the harmful things
they do to earth life. As these bags find their way to the oceans, marine life can easily
be tangled in the plastic as well as choke and suffocate. They are a danger to animals
like sea turtles, seabirds, and whales, which not only get caught in the bags but often
mistake them for food, choke on them, and die (Majerol). As the plastic diffuses more

and more into oceans, innocent sea creatures die. This has a significant impact on the
animals in our oceans as it prevents ecosystems from running smoothly and food
chains to be disturbed. It also decreases the overall animal population. Moreover,
plastic bags are non-biodegradable, meaning that it would take many, many years to
degrade. As an indication of this point, theres a 20-foot fence at the Salt Lake Landfill
to corral the blow-away bags, which if even buried properly, take 1,000 years to
decompose (ODonoghue). Usually, if a material is buried the proper way, it will not take
as long to decompose. However, in this case, plastic bags will take years to decay,
causing more problems on earth, including lowering quality of the soil. As these bags
enter into the soil, it makes it difficult to plant or grow anything from that soil. Plastic
bags are also responsible for releasing toxic gases into the air. Because plastic bags
are made from non-renewable resources, they create harmful greenhouse gases that
can eventually lead to overall climate change in our world. Some critics might argue that
plastic bags are a convenience and that people could not do without them. The bags
are right there for them, and people always forget to use their reusable bags. However,
this opinion is not valid because this problem can easily be prevented. People need to
start keeping their reusable bags in their cars in order to remember. Grocery stores can
also place incentives for bringing in reusable bags. The environmental problems these
bags cause greatly outweigh these easy solutions. Plastic bags should no longer be
used in order to protect the environment.

Bans on plastic should be enforced in our society because of the buildup of trash
they cause, and the harm they bring to life on earth. These issues play a big part in our

environment, as trash is being spread and earth life is being harmed. Despite the fact
they are harming our planet, these problems are easily preventable by just a few simple
changes: switching to reusable bags, and being careful about where your trash is going.
Even though plastic bags are seen as easy and convenient, trash buildup, killing sea
animals, and destroying the environment is not worth it. These bans need to enforced to
save our world.

WORKS CITED
Majerol, Veronica. Bagging Plastic. The New York Times: UPFRONT
31 March 2014. Web. 1 October 2016.

ODonoghue, Amy. Are you ready to bring a bag to the grocery store?
The Deseret News. 24 February 2016. Web. 1 October 2016.

Plastic Waste in the Oceans. The New York Times: UPFRONT.

31 March 2014. Web. 1 October 2016.

Plumb, Katie. Time to just say no to plastic bags. The Salt Lake Tribune.
9 May 2014. Web. 1 October 2016.