More and More Countries are Banning Plastic Bags
Former title: Developing countries lead ban of plastic bags, will advanced countries follow?
With annexes for Lesson References
Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature - School on Blog
Part 1 - Plastic bags are now outlawed
Part 2 - The Case of the Goat that Ate Plastic
Part 3 - We are Living in a Plastic World!
Part 4 - Giant Plastic Straw Christmas Tree
Part 5 - Plastic rain is the new acid rain.*
Annex 1 - House passes bill banning single-use plastics
Annex 2 - Which Countries Have Banned Plastic Bags?
Annex 3 - The Making of a Plastic Continent
Plastics are culprits of flooding, asphyxiation of fish and children, allergy and asthma, cancer and plasticosis, hormone imbalance leading to birth defects and third sex, species extinction. There are more plastics fished from the sea than fish.
Plastic bags may help maintain the freshness of vegetables, but only for some time because heat builds up and moisture is trapped that favors fungi and bacteria that cause deterioration, and decay.
Sling plastic bag is practical and durable. It is ideal for fruits and vegetables, and dry goods, too.
It is convenient to use in the market, office, school and the like. There are specific uses of plastic such as in keeping food in the freezer. It is recommended however, that instead of using plastic bags, covered trays be used instead.
Plastic bags are now outlawed, starting in the "Third World" and creeping slowly to advanced countries. Now, this is a new twist. Take a look at these pioneers.
Plastics including microplastics are now ubiquitous in our natural environment. They are becoming part of the Earth's fossil record and a marker of the Anthropocene, our current geological era. They have even given their name to a new marine microbial habitat called the "plastisphere" - Our Planet is choking on plastic, UN Environmental Programme
- Philippines (Lucban, Quezon 2008; Muntinlupa, Metro Manila 2011)
- India (New Delhi 2009; Mumbai, Pradesh 2003, Karwar 2010, Tirumala and Rajasthan 2010)
- Bangladesh (Dhaka, 2003)
- South Africa, 2003
- Rwanda, 2005
- Zanzibar, 2006
- Tanzania, 2006
- USA (San Francisco, 2006)
- Great Britain (Modbury, 2007
- China, 2008
- Mexico, 2009
- Burma (Rangoon, 2009)
- Italy, 2011
Countries that ban and/or tax plastic bags are Ireland 2002, Belgium 2007, New Zealand 2009, Kenya 2007, Uganda 2007.
There are more and more supermarkets, school campuses, offices, and communities that ban plastic bags. If your school and community have not joined the plastic-bag ban, initiate the movement. Take a look at these activities.
1. Checkpoint at the school gate. No Styropore/stryrofoam for pack foods.
2. Plastic bottles bin for immediate collection to delivery to recycling plant.
3. Recycle plastics and non-biodegradable materials, like bayong (bulk bag from tetra packs, see in this Blog)
4. No burning of plastic materials policy; the smoke contains dioxin, carcinogenic and the most poisonous substance on earth. Fumes are more poisonous than cyanide.
5. Plant-based substitutes from pandan (Lucban, Quezon), buri, nipa, anahaw, coconut leaves, banana stalk, etc.
6. Encourage local industries using environment-friendly substitutes, like subsidy and awards.
Lastly, and the most practical, bring your own container: glass bottles, canisters, glazed jars, green bags, etc.
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Around the world, one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute, while up to five trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year. In total, half of all plastic produced is designed for single-use purposes – used just once and then thrown away.Plastics including microplastics are now ubiquitous in our natural environment. They are becoming part of the Earth's fossil record and a marker of the Anthropocene, our current geological era. They have even given their name to a new marine microbial habitat called the "plastisphere" - Our Planet is choking on plastic, UN Environmental Programme
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Congratulations and acknowledgement: City of Muntinlupa, Philippine Daily Inquirer January 30, 2011
Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 DZRB AM, [www.pbs.gov.ph] 8-9 evening class Monday to Friday
738 DZRB AM, [www.pbs.gov.ph] 8-9 evening class Monday to Friday
Dr Abe V Rotor
No digestive enzyme – not even gastric acid – is powerful to break down plastics, no matter how long the material is subjected to this natural solvent.
The goat was pregnant for too long and was getting thin the owner sent for the butcher.
Guess what we discovered? The bloated stomach was stuffed with plastics – pieces of containers, wrapping materials and grocery bags. One cannot imagine why the animal devoured plastics instead of grass other than due to hunger. After all, goats are not choosy when it comes to food. Outside the wide range of plant species they can eat, since they are omnivorous, they yearn for almost anything sweet, salty, oily or spicy.
Curiously, an inventory was made from the animal’s stomach. Found in it there were cellophane used for sweets like bocayo, peanut butter, and candies, thin plastic bags for retailing bagoong alamang, patis, toyo, cooking oil, ice drop and the like. The largest are grocery convenient bags for meats, fish, soft drinks, fruit juices and cooked food. Some of these materials still bear traces of the product trade names, indicating recent ingestion. Plastics earlier ingested were discolored, but nonetheless are undissolved and intact. As the stomach twists and turns, the larger plastic materials envelop the smaller ones, forming a mass stuck up in the rumen (or large first compartment of the stomach) like clothes in a overloaded washing machine.
The stomach of ruminants is designed to store large amounts of food. The food is consumed rapidly with a minimum of chewing, before it is swallowed. This reduces grazing time while it enhances large intake. Then when the animal is resting, the raw ingesta is brought out for re-mastication. At this time, digestive enzymes are mixed in with food before final digestion.
The stomach muscles incessantly contracting and squeezing, in a process called peristalsis (successive waves of involuntary contraction along the walls of the intestine, forcing the contents onward). Digestive enzymes dissolve solid materials into pulp (chyme), which is a thick soup material which later goes to the small intestine. Here, the nutrients are assimilated by tiny and numerous, tiny finger-like protrusions called villi. The remaining contents then move to the large intestines, where they are retained for a while before being excreted as feces.
Why does the stomach retain the plastic materials?
We know that goats and other ruminant animals like sheep, cattle, zebra and gazelle, have very efficient digestive systems. This is needed for them to subsist on more than just high-fiber food such as grass and roughage. Their chambered stomachs retain food much longer than man can, or fowls, and pigs. This explains why the excreta of ruminants yields well digested fiber. This is not the case with the excreta of animals with simple digestive systems such as pigs. Birds and chicken although they break down shells and stones in their gizzards, cannot fully digest cellulose. Perhaps the only creature, superior to ruminants in cellulose digestion, is the termite. Termites have living protozoa in their stomachs that break down wood cellulose even in its tough form, lignin. Without this symbiont, termites will certainly starve and die. There has been no known successful experiment, however, to determine whether termites can digest plastics.
The implication is that no digestive enzyme, not even gastric acid, is powerful enough to break down the cellulose in plastics. This is classical proof of the non-biodegradability of plastics.
The question is asked: Can’t ruminants eliminate unwanted materials in their digestive system either by regurgitation or excretion? The answer is no. In the first place the movement of the stomach and its chambers (rumen, reticulum and omasum) are not governed by the central nervous system. The mechanism of rumination is involuntary. It is the coarseness of the feed that stimulates the walls of the rumen to contract so that the material is brought out for re-mastication. Animals, which feed on soft and non-fibrous diet like alfalfa, ruminate less than those that depend on roughage.
Plastics Camouflage Appetite
It is likely that the plastic materials line the surface of the rumen in a way that produces insufficient stimulation to expel the ingesta for re-mastication. Another effect is that the animal experiences false fullness, camouflaging true appetite. This means that because the animal is not hungry, it eats less, consequently, becoming malnourished. Thus, the goat that ate plastic was emaciated, yet had a bloated stomach. Yet this does not discount the possibility of slow poisoning due to the slow disintegration of secondary metabolites.
The other reason why goats cannot eliminate the plastics through excretion is obvious. Unlike large livestock, their feces are dry and nodular (small and round-shaped), barely the size of coffee beans.
The first completely synthetic man-made plastic, Bakelite, does not burn, melt or dissolve under ordinary solvents. As an additive, it makes almost any material strong, durable and light.
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What is plastic? How are plastics differentiated?
1. The first plastic was made by Alexander Parkes in 1862, after whom it was named: Parkesine. Actually it was an organic material derived from cellulose. Once heated, it could be molded, retaining its shape when cooled.
Because of its high cost of production it was shelved until the later part of the 19th century when celluloid made a debut as replacement for ivory in making of billiard balls. To prevent the explosion of the highly volatile celluloid, camphor was added leading to the development of thermoplastics.
2. Soon, the first completely synthetic man-made plastic was formulated by a New York chemist, Leo Baekeland, hence the name Bakelite. This material does not burn, boil, melt, or dissolve under any commonly available acid or solvent. It also retains its shape. Bakelite could be added to almost any material, making the new substance more durable, light, heat-resistant and shatterproof. War machinery and automobile manufacturing made use of this new product to great advantage.
3. Other forms of plastics were then discovered. These include rayon (man-made silk), and cellophane (the first glass-clear, flexible and waterproof plastic). These materials have many uses today.
4. By 1920, the “plastic craze” spread out. Du Pont, one of the leaders of the industry developed nylon, replacing animal hair in toothbrushes. By 1940, the world saw the development of acrylic, polyethylene, and many more polymers, which replaced natural materials such as cotton, fiber, wood and steel.
5. DuPont later introduced Teflon, favored for lining cooking utensils for its acid and heat resistant while its non-stick properties make the utensils easy to clean.
6. Dow, another plastic manufacturer, on the other hand, came up with polyvinylidene chloride, better known as “Saran”, a perfect material for food packaging and storage.
7. Polyethylene, introduced in 1933, is currently the largest volume plastic in the world for making soda and milk bottles, grocery bags, and plastic food storage containers. This is the kind of plastic the goat ate and which made her sick.
8. There is virtually no end to the discovery of other forms of plastics. We have plastic putty developed by Velcro. This material is similar to rubber, but has a 25 percent higher rebound power. Its property of not being able to maintain a constant shape is compensated by its high flexibility, stretching many times its length without tearing. Initially, it was used in the manufacture of toys, but now many potential uses are seen.
A World Without Plastics?
Today’s world is incomprehensible without plastics. Plastics contribute to our health, safety and peace of mind. They are part of our dwellings, cars, toys, appliances, even body parts such as heart valves and prosthetics. There are countless uses in all aspects of our lives.
On the other hand, the biggest dilemma with plastics is its proper disposal. It has become a major waste handling challenge all over the world. While we see its virtually endless uses, we are also witness to its accumulation exacerbated by its inability to biodegrade. As a result, its rate of accumulation is alarmingly enhanced, creating an issue of concern to environmentalists, and citizens of the world.
Plastic Garbage
In a recent field trip along the coast of Morong, Bataan, in the Philippines, students from the UST College of Pharmacy were surprised to see plastic material strewn by waves along the shore. A cursory examination revealed the following materials:
1. Plastic sack which has replaced the jute or gummy sack
2. Nylon rope and filament, which have replaced Manila hemp and cotton threads. Filament is used for fish net.
3. Plastic simulated leather used in shoes, canvas and bags. There are other kinds of artificial leather.
4. Styropore for packing and containers, replacing banana leaves, straw and paper.
5. Foam mattresses, slippers and furniture. Natural sponge is now a rare commodity. Foam has replaced coconut coir and kapok.
6. Plastic bottles, jars and containers. Glass is still the best material when it comes to food storage.
7. Plastic sachets, bags and wrappers have largely taken over the use of paper and cardboard.
These plastic materials are familiar to us. We see them at home and on store shelves. They are evidences of our modern, throw-away culture.
Trapped Fish Fry in Plastic
While gathering the garbage to help clean up the shore, the author’s students found trapped fish fry in plastic bags. Wanting to find out how this happened, we looked for clues.
Fish trapped in plastic (Internet)
The plastic bags, flushed down the river, or thrown by unscrupulous residents and promenaders became homes for young, marine species. Since these materials are not edible seaweeds or seagrass, they become entrapments to the fry. Causing their death through starvation and asphyxiation.
We have seen plastic materials stuck at the bottom of reefs preventing juvenile seaweeds from developing. Plastics also trap the polyps of corals, and microsopic zooplankton eliminating a major food source for marine life.
That evening, along the shores of Morong, we asked ourselves what each can do to rid the shores of plastics. While we reflected in silence, the tranquil waves washed ashore a plastic bottle.
Here are things we can do with plastics.
1. Re-use plastic bags and bottles at home. Remember that plastics are durable. Be sure to clean them properly before using.
2. Gather plastic bottles and unserviceable plastic wares for recycling. Arrange with cart pushers, or your nearest junk shop for their regular collection. Do not attempt to re-melt plastics. The process is not as simple as you think. Don’t burn to dispose them, either. Burning plastics emits smoke and fumes deleterious to health.
3. Do not use plastic if you can help it. Use paper or glass containers. This is also advantageous to your health. Do not use plastic containers for soft drinks, vinegar, salt, patis, toyo. Strong solvents tend to chemically alter in the presence of plastics. Studies that show that some plastics that are carcinogenic.
4. Keep plastic materials away from your bedroom. As plastics age, they emit gaseous substances which may cause allergy, asthma and other ailments when inhaled.
5. Patronize products that use non-plastic containers, wrappers, bags and utensils.
6. Be part of a community environmental project. Attend seminars and workshops that talk about the environment. Read about ecology; learn to be a leader in this area; know about re-cycling, values formation, and the like. Be an ecologist yourself.
Nata Laminate – Potential Plastic Substitute
Now, this one is for the Guinness Book of Records. Shoes now are made from nata de coco. At St. Paul College QC, Dr. Anselmo S. Cabigan and his advisee Amparo Arambulo developed shoes made from nata laminate. The laminate is actually compressed nata de coco, dried and layered into ply, then subjected to the usual tanning procedure. It is cut and made into shoe soles, actually worn by students quality test. Nata laminate is stronger than leather. It gives a good finish and it looks like leather.
In another research, nata was made into surgical thread. Since nata is a natural product (a capsule of the bacterium, Leuconostoc mesenteroides), it is soluble. It may be a good substitute for expensive commercial absorbable surgical threads.
Nata laminate is also a potential substitute for special paper, such as sheepskin, and an exotic material in making wallets, bags and belts. Unlike plastic, nata laminate is biodegradable. It also offers to save endangered animals from being butchered for skin.
The case of the goat that ate plastic, and fish fry trapped in a plastic bag can spur us to develop a second generation of biodegradable plastics. This is the essence of good stewardship of this planet, for our own good, as well as for those who will follow us. ~
We have seen plastic materials stuck at the bottom of reefs preventing juvenile seaweeds from developing. Plastics also trap the polyps of corals, and microsopic zooplankton eliminating a major food source for marine life.
That evening, along the shores of Morong, we asked ourselves what each can do to rid the shores of plastics. While we reflected in silence, the tranquil waves washed ashore a plastic bottle.
Here are things we can do with plastics.
1. Re-use plastic bags and bottles at home. Remember that plastics are durable. Be sure to clean them properly before using.
2. Gather plastic bottles and unserviceable plastic wares for recycling. Arrange with cart pushers, or your nearest junk shop for their regular collection. Do not attempt to re-melt plastics. The process is not as simple as you think. Don’t burn to dispose them, either. Burning plastics emits smoke and fumes deleterious to health.
3. Do not use plastic if you can help it. Use paper or glass containers. This is also advantageous to your health. Do not use plastic containers for soft drinks, vinegar, salt, patis, toyo. Strong solvents tend to chemically alter in the presence of plastics. Studies that show that some plastics that are carcinogenic.
4. Keep plastic materials away from your bedroom. As plastics age, they emit gaseous substances which may cause allergy, asthma and other ailments when inhaled.
5. Patronize products that use non-plastic containers, wrappers, bags and utensils.
6. Be part of a community environmental project. Attend seminars and workshops that talk about the environment. Read about ecology; learn to be a leader in this area; know about re-cycling, values formation, and the like. Be an ecologist yourself.
Nata Laminate – Potential Plastic Substitute
Now, this one is for the Guinness Book of Records. Shoes now are made from nata de coco. At St. Paul College QC, Dr. Anselmo S. Cabigan and his advisee Amparo Arambulo developed shoes made from nata laminate. The laminate is actually compressed nata de coco, dried and layered into ply, then subjected to the usual tanning procedure. It is cut and made into shoe soles, actually worn by students quality test. Nata laminate is stronger than leather. It gives a good finish and it looks like leather.
In another research, nata was made into surgical thread. Since nata is a natural product (a capsule of the bacterium, Leuconostoc mesenteroides), it is soluble. It may be a good substitute for expensive commercial absorbable surgical threads.
Nata laminate is also a potential substitute for special paper, such as sheepskin, and an exotic material in making wallets, bags and belts. Unlike plastic, nata laminate is biodegradable. It also offers to save endangered animals from being butchered for skin.
The case of the goat that ate plastic, and fish fry trapped in a plastic bag can spur us to develop a second generation of biodegradable plastics. This is the essence of good stewardship of this planet, for our own good, as well as for those who will follow us. ~
Part 3 - We are Living in a Plastic World!
Dr Abe V Rotor
Plastic Elephant, River Cruise at Disneyland HK 2017
It moves, it calls your attention,
this virtual elephant.
Oh, it's still fantasy in any name,
work of foolish savant.
Hermit crab finds a home in a PVC elbow joint. (Internet)
We ask, for whom the bell tolls?
Laughable though pitiful,
a hermit crab in a plastic home;
the bell tolls none but the fool.
Potted plastic plants on the sidewalk, HK 2017
Warning! Don't touch the plants,
(else you discover they are fake);
make-believe to keep discipline
for peace-and-order's sake.
A flower shop - but which is natural which is plastic? (Internet)
Plastic flowers everywhere, how lovely can they get,
crowded in a shop they look cheap though;
Not the pet flower of the Little Prince in his planet,
among the stars the whole night through.
Markus and Mackie on Big Buddha Mountain, HK 2017
Playing hide a seek among the prop roots of the Buddha tree,
Perfect to hide, but where's the thrill,
on discovering it's all imitation, lifeless and still,
of plastic, concrete and steel?.
Plastic toys morgue (Internet)
Remnants of childhood's joy and mystery
now in a forgotten cemetery,
So died the laughter, song and fantasy,
of growing up fast to be free.
Food in plastic moulds in a Hongkong restaurant
Pavlov's conditioned learning,
a tool of consumerism;
culinary art indeed deceiving,
everything looks appetizing.
Our waste in the ocean is visible like the tip of an iceberg, 90 percent is down under.
Hidden under the rug of the ocean.
plastic waste to be forgotten;
eons hence submerged and drifting
and we call Nature our friend!
Plastic wastes live for 2000 years, drift with the Gulf Stream, winnowed into
a continent in the making, now the size of Texas. (Internet)
Land of plastics, ahoy there!
floating debris, lifeless and bare;
when the good life is over,
Alas! who would care? ~
Part 4 - Giant Plastic Straw Christmas Tree
(before plastic straw was banned)
Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog
Giant Christmas Tree made of soft drinks plastic straw - one for the Book of Guinness. Photos taken by the author at a parish church plaza in Bulacan, circa 2010.
Call it waste turned beautiful by small and innocent hands
into a thousand-and-one stars on a pylon rising to the sky
what we grownups simply throw away and pollute the earth,
and the manufacturers reap profits while the young ones cry.
Call it Christmas Tree, call it tree of nativity and offering,
to a Messiah when the world seeks for peace and rest;
call it a tree of Conscientization* in shrouded light and truth,
in a modern world deluged with technology and progress. ~
Part 5 - Plastic rain is the new acid rain.*
Microbiologists at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) devised a sustainable way to remove polluting microplastics from the environment.
Their partners in crime are bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Capable of grouping microplastics floating around in wastewater, these microbe nets trap microplastics and sink them. The plastic blobs can then be disposed of or recycled.
Other research efforts include exploring different novel materials as filters to remove microplastics before they reach large water bodies. Nanocellulose structures are highly effective in capturing extremely small microparticles that our eyes can’t see.
Researchers at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland envision that these inexpensive components could be installed directly at the point of microplastic generation. This way, the pesky particles won’t be able to make it to important waterways, where removal would be many times tougher.
But wait… How are microplastics different from the ubiquitous plastic products we use daily?We have seen horrific posts related to plastic waste circulating the web. While these dangers are visible to the naked eye, some are left undetected until fairly recently – microplastics.
With sizes ranging from as small as one-tenth the width of human hair, to twice the size of fine beach sand, these microparticles are so small that they can be carried by the wind.
Recent studies highlight the seriousness of this issue. 1000 metric tons – easily the weight of 120 million plastic bottles – rained on protected areas across western US. 84% of microplastics originate from road sources, while the rest come from agricultural dusts and oceans.
Plastic materials (think your bags and bottles) left out in the environment disintegrate gradually into smaller and smaller pieces.
Even doing your laundry releases microplastics – tiny microfibres slough off your synthetic clothes and get flushed to wastewater treatment plants.
Researchers also accidentally discovered huge numbers of tiny microplastic specks in their plastic container while prepping their lunch.
Tyres driving over roads break down deposited plastic particles into finer microplastics, enabling them to be launched back into the atmosphere, just like how oceans recirculate microplastics.One-way ticket around the globe.
What’s even more disconcerting is that microplastics can be transported to distant and pristine locations such as Antarctica, despite being so far away from actual sources of microplastics.
This just shows that microplastics are already spiraling through Earth’s recirculation system. And because of their astounding chemical longevity, microplastics spend many years cycling through different circulatory systems such as air, land and sea, ultimately ending up somewhere far from where they came from.
You could be taking in a deep breath of “fresh” air at Joshua Tree National Park, while tiny flakes of acrylic polymer – that could have come from someone’s laundry in Japan – land imperceptibly on your nose .Effects on humans still unclear.Ingestion of microplastics by small creatures lead to blockages in their intestinal tract. The ingested plastics could move up the food chain, leading to a plastic accumulation in organisms at the top of the food chain, akin to heavy metal bio-accumulation.
Some sea creatures exposed to microplastics even displayed difficulties in growing, severely affecting their ability to survive.
You’re also likely to be eating microplastics every day without even noticing it.
Microplastics were revealed in the placentas of unborn babies just a couple of months ago, most probably shed when shaking up plastic baby bottles filled with hot baby formula.
Assuming that the microplastics would somehow hamper foetal growth and cause long-term damage to its immune system, the researchers have yet to determine their exact health impacts on the human body.
But it’s reasonable to assume that having tiny bits of plastic lodged in your lungs or in your unborn child are hardly good things. Eliminating microplastics requires global effort.An overall picture on the consequences of microplastics to us and the ecosystem in general is still unclear. But such repercussions are inescapable in the immediate future.
Returning to the pre-plastic era is unimaginable, unless we come up with materials as great as plastic, but not as environmentally upsetting.
Perhaps one of the most effective ways to end this microplastic scourge, aside from inventing innovative methods of removal, is to cut out single-use plastics.
Just like how we cast a dry spell on acid rain, we too, can put an end to this toxic microplastic cycle. ~
* By Mitchell Lim. Mitchell Lim is DUG's Scientific Content Architect. With a PhD in Chemical Engineering
Acknowledgement and thanks: The Daily DUG
House passes bill banning single-useplastics
By Filane Mikee Cervantes
July 28, 2021, 7:32 pm
With 190 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and one abstention, the chamber passed on third reading House Bill 9147, which seeks to regulate the production, importation, sale, distribution, provision, use, recovery, collection, recycling, and disposal of single-use plastic products.
Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, a principal author, said the measure aims to protect life, both land, and water, from hazards posed by plastic pollution and to ensure that non-compostable single-use synthetic plastic products do not leak into nature.
“The measure also provides steps for the eventual phasing out of single-use plastic products, a step that is from all accounts, one in the right direction,” Velasco said.
It also seeks to promote circularity through the reduction, reuse, and recycling of plastic trash.
The bill proposes to phase out within a year the production, importation, sale, distribution, provision, and use of single-use plastic drinking straws, stirrers, candy sticks, balloon sticks, cotton bud sticks, buntings, confetti, and packaging or bags less than 10 microns thick.
It also seeks to phase out within four years single-use plastic items such as tableware, film wrap, packaging or bags less than 50 microns thick, sachets and pouches, oxo-degradable plastics, and styropor food and beverage containers.
The bill mandates the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to formulate within six months a phase-out plan on single-use plastic wastes, with components on reducing consumption, increasing recovery, keeping producers accountable, developing alternatives, and raising awareness.
It shall obligate commercial establishments to promote reusable, recyclable, and retrievable products in their stores, charge PHP5.00 from customers for every plastic bag or single-use plastic used for take-out food or delivery service, and facilitate customer return of used plastic products to the store.
It seeks to penalize violators with fines ranging from PHP50,000 up to PHP500,000 for micro-enterprises and PHP250,000 up to PHP1,000,000 for larger businesses. (PNA) ~
ANNEX 2 - For Lesson Reference Only (avrotor)
Which Countries Have Banned Plastic Bags?
In an effort to reduce unnecessary waste, some countries have placed bans on plastic bags. Continue reading to find out which places have taken this action as well as more information about the pollution problem facing our planet today.
Plastic Bag Overload
Let's face it: plastic bags are everywhere these days, and while they may seem like a cheap, easy way to carry our goods, they are wreaking havoc on the planet in a number of ways. According to the Earth Policy Institute, nearly one trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year. The problem is that these bags contain polyethylene and cannot biodegrade, which means if they aren't recycled or disposed of properly, they become pollution that we commonly see alongside the road or floating in the water. This equals trouble for not only us and our environment, but animals and other wildlife as well.
Here are some of the risks plastic bags pose: Animals - birds, marine life, cattle, and more - often mistake plastic bags for food or nest-building materials, which leads to poisoning, choking, entanglement, and blocked intestines - all of which can result in death.
Since plastic bags can't biodegrade, they last virtually forever (some estimates say 500+ years). Instead, they break down into smaller pieces (called microplastics) that leach toxicants that pollute the earth and even the human food supply.
Due to their light weight, plastic bags can easily blow out of trash receptacles or even landfills. They then clog up waterways, damage agricultural land, and provide ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Plastic bags are manufactured using petroleum, a nonrenewable resource that can be used for several more important things.
As a result of the growing plastic bag problem, some countries, states, and localities are taking action and putting a halt to plastic bag use completely. Other areas have begun to charge retailers or customers who choose to use plastic bags in an effort to curb their popularity. Let's take a closer look.
The World's Fight Against Plastic Bags
Several areas have plastic bag bans and/or taxes in place, and the following list is not comprehensive. It simply paints an overall picture of the overwhelming global concern that plastic bag use has caused and what is being done in response.
Africa
Africa takes the plastic bag problem very seriously; more than 15 countries on the continent have either banned them completely or charge a tax on them. Before the first ban was introduced in 2003, South Africa had actually declared plastic bags their 'national flower' due to their overwhelming presence in trees and bushes. How sad! Here are some of the countries in Africa that have bans or taxes in place:
- Kenya
- Mali
- Cameroon
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Ethiopia
- Malawi
- Morocco
- South Africa
- Rwanda
- Botswana
Asia
Prior to the 2008 Olympic Games, China placed a ban on all thin plastic bags and began requiring retailers to charge a tax on thicker bags. The Chinese government has said that this has led to a two-thirds reduction in plastic bag use. Other countries in Asia that have bans or taxes in place include Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan.
Australia
Australia as a whole doesn't have a ban on plastic bags; however, several states and territories have begun to put bans in place, including the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Tasmania.
Europe
Europe has been very active in its fight against plastic bags. In 1994, Denmark was the first country to begin charging a tax on them. Following the introduction of the tax, usage dropped from around 800 million to approximately 400 million bags per year. Ireland, who began charging customers for plastic bags in 2002, saw a 90% reduction in usage and litter after the tax was put into effect. Recently, the European Union has said that it wants to see an 80% drop in plastic bag use by 2019, which means that all European countries will need to be on board. Other countries that currently have measures in place include:
Australia
Australia as a whole doesn't have a ban on plastic bags; however, several states and territories have begun to put bans in place, including the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Tasmania.
Europe
Europe has been very active in its fight against plastic bags. In 1994, Denmark was the first country to begin charging a tax on them. Following the introduction of the tax, usage dropped from around 800 million to approximately 400 million bags per year. Ireland, who began charging customers for plastic bags in 2002, saw a 90% reduction in usage and litter after the tax was put into effect. Recently, the European Union has said that it wants to see an 80% drop in plastic bag use by 2019, which means that all European countries will need to be on board. Other countries that currently have measures in place include:
- England
- Italy
- Wales
- Scotland
- Germany
- North America
- District of Columbia
- Seattle
- Maine
- New York
- Rhode Island
- Puerto Rico
- South America
That brings us to the BIG question: what can you and I do to help? Well, Sean Hammond, Deputy Policy Director of the Michigan Environmental Council, says that, 'Eliminating plastic bags is a necessary step to decreasing the amount of waste and pollution in the long term. Replacing all plastic and paper bags with reusable bags would mark a significant shift toward waste and pollution elimination. The first step should be to always reuse bags you have - be it paper, plastic, or textile. Plastic bag fees have been effective in reducing consumption of these bags. With major plastic pollution being found in all waterways, creative solutions, be it bag fees or other options, are necessary to address this society wide issue.'
Hammond also notes that the old mantra of 'reduce, reuse, recycle' is essential to keep in mind. He states, 'Buy less, utilize things multiple times, and then put them into recycling or composting instead of a landfill. Additionally, participate in local clean-ups or organize them. Finally, call your legislators, and let them know you want solutions to the pollution issue facing the world.' ~
Annex 3 - The Making of a Plastic Continent
Dr Abe V Rotor
The main Plastic Vortex as big as the state of texas - and growing - lies north of Hawaii off the coast of Canada and the US. "Islands" of plastics coalese into the vortex. Dutch scientists propose to convert the floating debris into a livable environment. Satellite photo below shows ocean currents and gyres responsible in creating the vortex. Canada is directly affected as indicated in the North Pacific Gyre.
Another gyre in the North Atlantic is poised to form another Plastic Vortex along the east coast of the US and Canada. If this happens we might expect a graver consequence as plastic merges with seaweeds that comprise the huge Sargasso Sea. (See lowermost photos, from the Internet)
NOTE: There are other gyres three in the south hemisphere, all potential spawning grounds of floating garbage.
Relate these events with the following:
1. Pope Francis Laudato Si (Praise Be), a call to save the Earth
2. Canada exporting trash to the Philippines
3. Earth Summits - review and prospects
4. Culture of Consumerism
5. Waste management models
6. Personal concern and action
7. Global Leadership challenge
8. Autotoxicity - myth of fact?Study the following photos (Internet).
Write the appropriate caption of each photo. (Class assignment and reference for discussion in school.}
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