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| What is "Plastic Shopping Bag" |
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Recycling
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, only 1% of plastic bags were recycled in 2000.[2] When one ton of plastic bags is reused as something else other then plastic bags or recycled, the energy equivalent of 11 barrels of oil is saved.[2]
According to the UK government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, there are several problems with plastic recycling, and in particular plastic bags:[6]
* the high volume to weight ratio of plastic means that the collection and transport of this waste is difficult and expensive
* there are often high levels of contamination in plastic making the recyclate less usable, especially where food products are involved
* there is a very wide range of plastics in use and segregation is difficult
* the market for using recycled plastic is underdeveloped
References
1. ^ Notes from the Packaging Laboratory: Polylactic Acid -- An Exciting New Packaging Material
2. ^ a b c Questions About Your Community: Shopping Bags: Paper or Plastic or . . .?
3. ^ Slate Explainer, "Will My Plastic Bag Still Be Here in 2507?" 27 June 2007.
4. ^ [http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/5064.html Children Still Suffocating with Plastic Bags}
5. ^ Faris, J. and Hart, K., Seas of Debris: A Summary of the Third International Conference on Marine Debris, N.C. Sea Grant College Program and NOAA, 1994, title page.
6. ^ What happens to waste: Plastics & plastic bags
7. ^ Planet Ark: Coles Bay, Australia's First Plastic Bag Free Town
8. ^ Oz considers bag ban
9. ^ Govt urged to act on plastic bags
10. ^ http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/04/080404-plastic-bags.html
11. ^ Report on Bhutan's Happiness Formula on BBC website
12. ^ "China bans free plastic shopping bags", AP Press via the International Herald Tribune, January 9, 2008
13. ^ Irish bag tax hailed success
14. ^ RTÉ News - 'One plastic bag now costs 22c'
15. ^ Globes [online] - Ministerial c'tee okays charge of NIS 1 per plastic bag
16. ^ bagsNOT
17. ^ Green Clubcard Points
18. ^ IKEA Website
19. ^ uktv Documentary
20. ^ London Councils' press release 13/11/2007
21. ^ Cambridge News website
22. ^ Marks and Spencers 5p per bag
23. ^ Budget at a glance
24. ^ AB 2449 (Levine) Plastic Bag Litter and Waste Reduction
25. ^ Banning Plastic Bags From Your Community
26. ^ IKEA U.S. 'Bag The Plastic Bag' Initiative Asks Customers to Stop Plastic Bag Waste
27. ^ BBC NEWS | Africa | Zanzibar islands ban plastic bag
