Whether it's inadvertent or deliberate, thin plastic bag litter creates many problems. Bags get caught in fences, bushes and trees. They end up blocking drains and trapping birds.
You will have seen the turtle picture which has become the unofficial “mascot” for the “Ban the plastic bag campaign”, but closer to home, when eaten they kill livestock. One farmer carried out an autopsy on a dead calf and found 8 plastic bags in its stomach. 42% of wind borne litter escaping from landfills is plastic - much of this is plastic bags.
The Go Green Bag was born out of despair at the sight of plastic bags stuck in trees, strangled and suffocated wildlife, blocked roadside drains and so many other sightings of plastic bags discarded where they are causing damage to the environment and hazards to both humans and wildlife.
In Australia the Go Green bag campaign, clearly identified with the Go Green Bag, has been gathering pace over the last 5 years. With the support of the large retailers and a tax imposition by the Government, the campaign has moved swiftly, to the extent that many Australian households now keep a supply of green bags and the cultural shift away from plastic bags is happening. There is legislation before the government of South Australia to ban all 6 micron bags – expected to be passed later this year. The Republic of Ireland is already well ahead of us, with a tax introduced by the Govt. reducing usage by 90%. In fact 34 other countries have already introduced measures to ban or tax plastic bags, with even China following in June.
In the UK we have a long way to go, but our recycling efforts are improving as our social awareness of mankind’s impact on the environment increases. The last 6 months has seen a real sea change in attitudes towards plastic bags, Governments, at local and national level are starting to make all the right noises and retailers are beginning to take positive action.
At the end of the day it is up to us, the consumer, to make that cultural shift. It will take time, but if we make a conscious effort to always have some bags in the car, by the door, and a small foldaway bag in our handbags, it will gradually become second nature.
And many of us remember a time when we didn’t have plastic bags anyway –string bags, a basket, shopping trolley (now becoming trendy again) and a good old fashioned cardboard box did the trick, and the shop happily delivered for free.
Nowadays, we do much bigger shops, cardboard boxes are seen as a fire or safety hazard and home delivery is a separate industry in its own right. But we can, and must, change our habits.
Banning plastic bags is not the answer to our environmental problems –it is a start and a focus to provide a culture shift away from our disposable society.
A single Go Green bag will replace 4 plastic bags and has a 2 year lifespan (of heavy use). It is then recyclable, in the same way as PET bottles.
By choosing Go Green own logo bags you are making a strong green statement and at the same time gaining low cost high street advertising – a winning combination.
We will also help towns go “plastic bag free”. This not only achieves the environmental objective but re-ignites a sense of community spirit that can then be directed to wider issues.
Go to TOWNS AND SCHOOLS page
