Plastic shopping bags are becoming a major environmental concern in many countries around the world.The bags have blocked drains and caused severe floods over the last couple of decade.A 'Use Fewer Plastic Bags' campaign was launched with an initial target of reducing use by 10%.The environmental implications of polyethylene bags,that take hundreds of years to decompose,are harsh.Negative outcomes include:the wasted resources locked away in the millions of plastic bags in landfills,the littering of landscapes and waterways,threats to wildlife ,and toxic gas emissions through burning.A number of countries are beginning to take positive measures to tackle this problem including charging consumers a levy,or banning them from the market place altogether.The general public were massively in favour of the levy.Initially there was a negative response from retailers.This is the reason it took two years for the tax to be imposed was because supermarkets were opposed to the idea.In India,Tamilnadu,is educating the public on the dangers of improper disposal and the advantages of alternatives,using bus advertisements,mobile exhibitions and a large media campaign.
展开▼
