No Plastic Bags, Please...!!

The growth of a country's economy has also resulted in the growth of the purchasing power of people. This economic growth also implies that the public would be "set aside" some money to shop, which will also impact on the growth of the production of waste, especially waste of plastic bags.

For example, the current Indonesian people get plastic bags is easy and "free" while shopping in stores. The use of plastic bags in Indonesia reached approximately 100 billion annually which consumes 12 million barrels of oil as a base for the manufacture of plastics. With the use of plastic bags in such large amounts that means the average Indonesian people use plastic bags about 2 bags per day.

Keep in mind, that plastic bags are made from High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is a polyethylene thermoplastic made from petroleum as well as Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE). Requires 1.75 kg of petroleum to make 1 kg of HDPE. In 2007 the volume of HDPE production reached 30 tons. With the strict regulations for reducing the use of plastic bags will be able to reduce our dependence on petroleum.

For example, China government according to the NDRC (National Development and Reform Commission of China) managed to save 4.8 million tonnes of oil equivalent to 6.8 million tons of coal due to the prohibition of the use of plastic bags in the country. The ban also resulted in decreased consumption of 800,000 tonnes of plastic so that the Chinese people today many who use bags made of fabric that can be recycled.

In urban areas such as Bandung according to Chief of Bandung Environmental Management Board, Ahmad Rekotomo ("PR", 03/04/2012), plastic waste has reached 150 tons/day. In one day of waste generated by city residents reached 1,500 tons was comprised of 20% inorganic waste of whom 10% were included plastic waste and other 10% non-plastic waste.

Rekotomo also said, will make a breakthrough by campaigning for one day without plastic bags in a month. Draft regulations on the prohibition of the use of plastic bags are not environmentally friendly is still under discussion at the time. According to the Representative Council of Bandung, the draft regional regulations limiting the use of environmentally unfriendly plastic bags will be difficult to be implemented by the public because the material is still a general and minimal control elements. (PRLM, 7/23/2012)

It has been proven by many scientific studies, that plastics are hazardous materials that threaten the environment. Like when a plastic bag in the trash will take about 1,000 years to decompose. Furthermore, waste of plastic bags produced by the people of Indonesia (for example) can reach about 4,000 tons/day which can certainly be a problem for the environment because of the quantity and level of danger that interfere with living beings. In fact, plastic bags can cause the death of 100,000 marine animals every year from ingesting plastic debris in the North Pacific Ocean. United Nations Environment Programme estimates that there are about 46,000 pieces of floating plastic waste per 1 square mile in the ocean.

Plastics are made of PVC when burned will emit substances Bis (2-ethylhexyl) adipate or DEHA that would interfere with fertility in both men and women. In fact, the plastic bag containing the black dye, when exposed to the heat can be decomposed and degraded to form radicals or substances known as free radicals trigger the growth of cancer cells and other diseases such as hepatitis and nervous system disorders.

The use of plastic bags that the environment and health friendly such as the use of plastic bags made from biodegradeable (naturally) is easily biodegradable is still an obstacle because the price is more expensive 20-100% of the price of conventional plastic bags so that the manufacturer refuses to switch from plastic bags.

Many ways have been done by the international community to reject the use of environmentally unfriendly plastic bags, such as the campaign "Bring Your Own Bag" which was held in Singapore in April 2007 and has successfully saved 100,000 plastic bags on the first day and also 200,000 non-plastic bags were sold which can be used many times. According to a leading supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice and Cold Storage, they cut the number of plastic bags by 60 percent.

In Hong Kong, "No Plastic Bag Day" campaign or a day without plastic bags since 2006, which was attended by 30 major retailers and NGOs voluntarily aimed at reducing the use of plastic bags. (China Daily News, 2006)

A number of other countries also began to "fight" the use of plastic bags such as China which has issued the Draft Law to overcome the problem of plastic bags. Reactions that have been prepared include banning the use of plastic bags in department stores. As with the Irish and Denmark who has implemented a plastic bag tax in 2002 and now has reduced the consumption of the use of plastic bags in the country reached 90 percent. Now all the plastic bags used in Ireland are biodegradeable.

The United States has banned the use of plastic bags and currently has 24 anti-plastic community. South Africa banned the use of plastic bags in 2003. Bangladesh banned the use of plastic bags since the year 2000, so did Kenya since 2007. Eritrea, Rwanda, and Somalia began in 2005. Tanzania banned the use of plastic bags in 2006. South Australia since 2009.

Let us stimulate concrete action to implement countermeasures use of plastic bags are not environmentally friendly. Most importantly start with ourselves at this time also for the sake of a better future with a clean and healthy environment. Are YOU willing, if Our next generation will living on top of plastic waste? *** [EKA | ARIE SATRIA NUGRAHA | PIKIRAN RAKYAT 08112012]

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