Plastic Bags Cost Life

[tamborine]

This is so sad & worse when you see the evidence.

http://www.whydontyoutrythis.com/2013/10/gray-whale-dies-bringing-us-a-message-with-stomach-full-of-plastic-trash.html?m=1

[Mamyalynne]

It is so sad and of course plastics are so hard to avoid in this modern world and we have to rely on those who dispose of our waste to do it properly.

When I was a child almost all our refuse could be burnt on the open fire, Dad even burned the tins to remove the label and sterilise them so we had no flies round the bin.

[Canary42]

Microplastics appear even more dangerous.

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-12/03/marine-plastic-ingested

[B00]

And people (some) are still not getting the message.

The amount of whinging my customers do when they 'have' to buy a carrier is unreal, claiming that it's "impossible to remember to bring one" and the outrage at them being 5p.

[Old_Geezer]

Your customers are right. I have a pile of bags in the car because of this nonsense.

This issue is not about just bags though is it. If it were the material for the bags would have been changed and the practice of not charging for them continued. This is about plastic pollution generally. Either it's a genuine issue and research needs to be done to prevent that core problem, or it's not. Grabbing money from the public because one can, as usual, doesn't help.

[Prudie]

I'm not sure I agree OG on the money grabbing bit - my personal huge plastic bag store is vastly recuced and rarely do I now add a new bag to my collection. That's a hell of a lot of reduced plastic bag waste if I assume millions are doing the same as me. The 5p is a valid incentive IMO.

[Old_Geezer]

In my case the reverse is true. Before the bags were used as bin liners and I had few in the car. Now I've a load of bags for life standard bags in the car because my memory is crap and my woman has to buy liners separately thus adding to the waste. But as mentioned, it doesn't tackle the core issue anyway.

[viv41]

Oh God how sad, poor creature. What a mess we're making of the lovely world.

[gness]

A charity I worked with, Tambo was organising a big fund raiser. One of the events a committee member insisted on having was a balloon race.
I have lots of info on the damage these races do so I showed it to the committee.....the race went ahead........Oh a few balloons won't hurt.... was the attitude.

Needless to say I pulled out of the event.

[tamborine]

Fishing nets swallowed & entwined in whales intestines is a slow, tortuous horrific death that all should be aware of. Some ID on trawler nets would help prosecute offenders.

[237SJ]

That article said that most of the plastic was sheeting from the tomato growing industry. Goodness knows how that got into the sea.

[viv41]

Thanks tambo x

Good for you for pulling out gness - I'd do the same, people just don't realise the problems caused by balloons when they land, not least poor cows eating them when chewing the cud !

[tamborine]

Probably blew in 237. Again ID on sheeting would make the owner more responsible.

[tamborine]

Good for you gness. I must admit I didnt realise the impact of plastic on our animal planet till I saw this evidence.

[gness]

Tambo......I found out about the balloon races in a book my daughter was given as a child.....about twenty five years ago....and I've been twittering on about them to anyone who'll listen ever since....and to those who won't listen....
Balloons that land in the sea fade and look like the jelly fish that are food for many sea creatures.... :-(

I see the litter and plastic decorating our roadsides and it's heartbreaking.... not only for the unsightly mess....but for the damage being done to our wildlife.....

What can we do...other that keep twittering on and organise the odd litter pick?......x

[237SJ]

A lot of the stuff comes from shipping, fishing industry etc. I have done beach cleans and we have had bags and bags of the stuff (mostly plastic fishing net that has been cut away). There is no way of stopping it because it`s not identifiable. Education is the key but some people still don`t care.

[237SJ]

You can get involved here https://www.mcsuk.org/index.php and here http://www.sas.org.uk/