ENVIRONMENTAL FACTS
Published November 9, 2007 - The Vancouver Sun- 1 Million - Estimated number of plastic bags that are handed out worldwide each minute.
- 500 Billion to 1 Trillion - Estimated number of plastic bags that end up in landfills each year worldwide.
- 28 Million kilograms - Estimated weight of plastic bags that end up in Canadian landfills each year.
- 10 Billion - Number of plastic bags Canadians use each year.
- 11 Barrels of oil - Estimated energy equivalent saved when one ton of plastic basg is reused or recycled.
- Canadians consume 9 -15 billion plastic bags annually.
- Residents of the City of Toronto alone use 800 million plastic bags annually.
- Ontarians collectively use almost 80 plastic bags per second; that equals 7,000,000 bags per day
- The energy used to manufacture just 8.7 plastic bags is equivalent to driving a car 1 kilometre.
- A plastic bag may be used for only 5 minutes, but can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.
- 47 per cent of all wind-borne litter from landfills is plastic, mainly in bag form.
PRODUCING PLASTIC BAGS WASTES NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES
- Most plastic bags are made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE).
- HDPE is a plastic made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource.
- The two main sources of energy used to make plastic bags are oil and natural gas.
- In 2004, the manufacturing of plastic bags accounted for 4% of the world's total oil production.
- 22,243 million barrels of oil produced worldwide.
- 889 million barrels of oil were used to make plastic bags.
Environmental Impact
- HPDE grocery bags are non-biodegradable and non-recyclable.
- They take hundreds of years to decompose.
- The manufacturing produces 1.1 kg of atmospheric pollution, contributing to acid rain and smog which cause greenhouse gasses.
Health Impact
- Making HDPE produces toxic emissions like carbon and ethanol.
- They infiltrate the food chain and endanger our health, safety and access to clean water during their decomposition in landfills.
BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC BAGS ARE NOT THE ANSWER
"Biodegradable bags are simply substituting one bad habit for another," says Tracey Saxby, co-founder of Greener Footprints and BC's foremost anti-plastic activist. The eco-friendly moniker for these bags is misleading, as degradation is only possible in precise soil conditions. In addition, the production of these bags may effectively use up more resources - rendering them less an alternative than a close cousin to their plastic counterparts.
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CANADIANS WANT SOLUTIONS TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
- Almost four in five Canadians (77%) are convinced global warming is real.
- Almost half (47%) believe climate change will affect their lives and future generations.
- Canadians (30%) feel the nation's leaders should pay as much attention to climate
change as health care (31%).
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AT SMARTBAG WE HAVE THE ANSWER!
- Smartbags are made from recycled plastic pellets from pete bottles.
- Smartbags are safe for your kids to use.
- Smartbags can be reused for carrying almost anything in your home.
- Smartbags reduce waste and save the planet from global warming.
- Smartbags are inexpensive.
- Smartbags can be recycled.
Our bags are available at all businesses located in our ECO-COMPANIES section.
