Plastic bags are such a menace to our ecosystem, and cause more harm than good. They don't actually biodegrade. Instead, they photo-degrade, they simply break down into smaller and smaller toxic pieces that contaminate our soil, waterways, and inadvertently enter our food supply when animals accidentally ingest them.
They are responsible for unsightly litter, flooding, the degradation of soil, creating an unnecessary expense for businesses, wasting petroleum which is a non-renewable resource and thus causing deaths of hundreds of animals a year.
Many cities have taken the plastic bag problem into their own hands by either banning them or charging the consumer a fee per disposable bag, and even individual stores have taken it upon themselves to charge a fee for plastic bags, if no ban has been implemented in their area. I am personally fascinated by the amount of cities across the world that have actually successfully banned plastic bags, and reduced their plastic footprint.
Factory Direct Promos created a very interesting Interactive Bag Ban Map describing the evolution of various cities that have implemented a plastic bag tax after a ban has failed, or how some cities were able to implement a collaborative campaign that lead to a successful, disposable bag ban.
The map will be continuously be updated with new information about plastic bag bans in the various cities. They want to inspire and educate the public on this important environmental issue.
Click on the different colored pins on the map, and see the different areas that have a plastic bag ban in effect, have failed at the ban or simply have a plastic bag usage fee.
Do you think banning plastic bags is the solution to our plastic bags problem?
photo credit: thebiggoodbye via photopin cc