We cannot deny the benefits we can get from plastic baggages. They are very light which make handling of any things easier. They are very economical as they cost only a cent per piece. They are strong and durable in which they can hold even heavy and massive materials. And they are multipurpose wherein you can do so much in one plastic.

Yet still problems arise because plastic bags are not so friendly for the environment. It takes years for them to decompose and all they leave are litters everywhere. Here are the major problems the world is facing because of plastic bags:

1. Land problems – tons of plastic trash bags clutter the landfills. Because it would take hundreds of years before they break down naturally, they build up into mountains of garbage. Sanitation problems occur, so as messy, odor-full dump areas.

2. Water problems – there is an increasing amount of plastics clogging the drainage. This will then result to flood problems when rainy day comes. Another is they contaminate the oceans by their toxins and poison marine animals if they are mistaken as food.

3. Air problems – plastic bags when burned emit harmful toxins that are dangerous for the health if inhaled. They are also destructive for the atmosphere because production of plastics requires gallons of petroleum.

While these problems are being addressed to officially one by one, we can take our part by personally solving plastic bag problems in our household. Here are 3 tips we can consider doing:

1. Minimize the use of plastic bags either by first, use paper shopping bags which are biodegradable and eco-friendly; or second, reuse plastic shopping bags by not accepting new ones anymore in the store. We can bring our own bag every time we shop and we can conserve plastics.

2. Recycle plastic bags in many creative ways. Some create it as tote bag, renew it as a pouch, or remake it as a wallet. Several grocery stores are also collecting plastic bags for recycling. There are also recycling programs in various areas in which you can learn how to recycle.

3. Turn to biodegradable plastic bags. Biodegradable plastics are widely accepted and available to conserve energy and solve pollution problems. These plastics are often used for food bags, plant bags and shopping bags. Because they can easily decompose, they are not posing risks to the environment.

We have witnessed such great changes in our environment that various problems and disasters appeared one by one. Among those problems and disasters, environmental pollution has become one of the most critical ones which attract people’s attention, especially “white pollution”. To alleviate “white pollution”, the government of China has made various efforts such as the ban against the use of plastic bags. However, as is pointed out by some people, it did not turn out as well as we expected. There are two main reasons contribute to the failure of the ban against the use of plastic bags.

On one hand, the current relevant laws are not strict enough to resolve the problem. Although the ban against the use of plastic bags has been published in 2008, amounts of plastic bags are still being used in supermarkets of big cities or countryside market place. Some supermarkets even still offer free plastic bags to consumers in order to attract more consumers. On the other hand, some individuals do not think it useful to just save several plastic bags. Because compared with the consumption of them all over the world, the individual’s power is insignificant.

We can see that ants, weak as each one is, can drive or even kill their gigantic enemies who are hundreds times bigger and stronger than them. So we should not have to worry about our power if we unite. We also can do a great deal to help our environment from being polluted and therefore destroyed. I am convinced that with joint efforts the white pollution would be solved and we will live in a more beautiful world.