Could you please help us? Hello!Then please pay attention!

Data released by the United States Data released by the United States Environmental Protection Agency shows that Environmental Protection Agency shows that somewhere between somewhere between 500 billion500 billion and and a a trilliontrillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year.each year.

National Geographic News September 2, National Geographic News September 2, 20032003

Less than Less than 1%1% of bags are recycled. It cost of bags are recycled. It cost more to recycle a bag than to produce a new more to recycle a bag than to produce a new one.one.

- Christian Science Monitor News - Christian Science Monitor News PaperPaper

““There's harsh economics behind bag There's harsh economics behind bag recycling: It costs recycling: It costs $4,000$4,000 to process and to process and recycle 1 ton of plastic bags, which can recycle 1 ton of plastic bags, which can then be sold on the commodities market then be sold on the commodities market for for $32$32””

- Jared Blumenfeld- Jared Blumenfeld (Director of San Francisco's Department of the Environment)(Director of San Francisco's Department of the Environment)

ThenThen……

Where Do They GoWhere Do They Go??

A study in 1975, showed oceangoing vessels A study in 1975, showed oceangoing vessels together dumped together dumped 8 million pounds8 million pounds of plastic of plastic annually. The real reason that the world's landfills annually. The real reason that the world's landfills weren't overflowing with plastic was because weren't overflowing with plastic was because most of it ended up in an ocean-fillmost of it ended up in an ocean-fill

- U.S. National Academy of Sciences- U.S. National Academy of Sciences

Bags get blown around…Bags get blown around…

……to different parts of our landsto different parts of our lands

……and to our seas, lakes and rivers.and to our seas, lakes and rivers.

Bags find their way into the sea Bags find their way into the sea via drains and sewage pipesvia drains and sewage pipes

- CNN.com / technology November 16, - CNN.com / technology November 16, 20072007

Plastic bags have been found floating North of Plastic bags have been found floating North of the Arctic Circle near Spitsbergen, and as far the Arctic Circle near Spitsbergen, and as far South as the Falkland IslandsSouth as the Falkland Islands

- British Antarctic Survey- British Antarctic Survey

Plastic bags account for over Plastic bags account for over 10%10% of of the debris washed up on the U.S. the debris washed up on the U.S. coastlinecoastline

- National Marine Debris Monitoring - National Marine Debris Monitoring ProgramProgram

Plastic bags photo-degrade: Over time they Plastic bags photo-degrade: Over time they break down into smaller, more toxic petro-break down into smaller, more toxic petro-polymers…polymers…

- CNN.com / Technology November 16, 2007- CNN.com / Technology November 16, 2007

which eventually contaminate soils and which eventually contaminate soils and waterwayswaterways

- CNN.com / Technology November 16, 2007- CNN.com / Technology November 16, 2007

As a consequence microscopic As a consequence microscopic particles can enter the food chainparticles can enter the food chain

- CNN.com / Technology November 16, 2007

The effect on wildlife can be The effect on wildlife can be catastrophiccatastrophic

- World Wildlife Fund Report - World Wildlife Fund Report 20052005

Birds become terminally entangledBirds become terminally entangled

- World Wildlife Fund Report 2005- World Wildlife Fund Report 2005

Nearly Nearly 200200 different species of sea life different species of sea life including whales, dolphins, seals and including whales, dolphins, seals and turtles die due to plastic bagsturtles die due to plastic bags

- World Wildlife Fund Report - World Wildlife Fund Report 20052005

They die after ingesting plastic bags They die after ingesting plastic bags which they mistake for foodwhich they mistake for food

- World Wildlife Fund Report - World Wildlife Fund Report 20052005

SoSo……

What do we do?What do we do?

If we use a cloth bag, we can save If we use a cloth bag, we can save 66 bags a bags a weekweek

That's That's 2424 bags a month bags a month

That's That's 288288 bags a year bags a year

That's That's 22,17622,176 bags in an average life bags in an average life timetime

If just If just 1 out of 51 out of 5 people in our country did this people in our country did this we would save we would save 1,330,560,000,0001,330,560,000,000 bags over bags over our life timeour life time

BangladeshBangladesh has banned plastic bags has banned plastic bags

- MSNBC.com March 8, 2007- MSNBC.com March 8, 2007

ChinaChina has banned free plastic bags has banned free plastic bags

- CNN.com / Asia January 9, 2008- CNN.com / Asia January 9, 2008

IrelandIreland took the lead in took the lead in EuropeEurope, taxing , taxing plastic bags in 2002 and have now plastic bags in 2002 and have now reduced plastic bag consumption by reduced plastic bag consumption by 90%90%

- BBC News August 20, 2002BBC News August 20, 2002

In 2005 In 2005 RwandaRwanda banned plastic bags banned plastic bags

- Associated Press- Associated Press

Israel, Canada, western India, Botswana, Israel, Canada, western India, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Taiwan, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Taiwan, andand Singapore Singapore  have also banned or are moving  have also banned or are moving toward banning the plastic bagtoward banning the plastic bag

- PlanetSave.com February 16, - PlanetSave.com February 16, 20082008

On March 27th 2007, On March 27th 2007, San FranciscoSan Francisco becomes first U.S. city to ban plastic becomes first U.S. city to ban plastic bags bags 

- NPR.org (National Public - NPR.org (National Public Radio)Radio)

OaklandOakland and and BostonBoston are considering a are considering a banban

- The Boston Globe May 20, - The Boston Globe May 20, 20072007

Plastic shopping bags are made from Plastic shopping bags are made from polyethylene: polyethylene: a thermoplastic made from oila thermoplastic made from oil

- CNN.com / Technology November 16, 2007- CNN.com / Technology November 16, 2007

Reducing plastic bags will decrease Reducing plastic bags will decrease foreign oil dependencyforeign oil dependency

ChinaChina will save  will save 37 million37 million barrels of oil each year barrels of oil each year due to their ban of free plastic bagsdue to their ban of free plastic bags

- CNN.com / Asia January 9, 2008- CNN.com / Asia January 9, 2008

It is It is possiblepossible......

Think about it… Will you?Thank You!