Disposable Bag Presentation
The Livingston Disposable Bag Initiative Can Livingston use less? Plastic Bag statistics: Americans use and dispose of 100 billion plastic shopping bags each year Source: (Wall Street Journal) http://www.inspirationgreen.com/plastic-bag-stats.html Average family takes home 1500 bags per year Source www.nrdc.org/media/2008/080109.asp Plastic Bags are a petroleum product with the following negatives: Pollution - created at three points: at source of oil at oil refinery after use Oil consumption worsening carbon footprint Oil consumption bad for US geopolitical interests Pollution – where oil is extracted Exxon Valdez BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill Destroyed landscapes from Canadian tar sand mining Pollution – Here in Livingston Less than 5 percent of plastic grocery bags are recycled in the U.S. Source: (US EPA) http://www.inspirationgreen.com/plastic-bag-stats.html In 2007 in the U.S., about 31 million tons, or 12.1% of total municipal waste, was plastic Estimates of 3.2-5.2 cents cost per bag for municipal clean-up Source: National Center for Policy Analysis http://www.ncpa.org/pdfs/st353.pdf If 1500 bags/family x 7400 families in Livingston x 3.2 cents/bag = $355,200. Lets say that Livingston uses half the normal amount per family – still looking at $177,600 at the lower estimate of bag cost Pollution – in the world Pacific Garbage Patch Plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to break down There is now six times more plastic debris in parts of the North Pacific Ocean than zooplankton. Source World Watch Institute www.worldwatch.org/node/5565 source: http://acfnewsource.org.s60463.gridserver.co m/environment/plastic_plankton.html Plastic debris acts like a sponge for toxic chemicals, soaking up a million fold concentrations of PCBs and DDE* -- highly toxic to marine animals which consume these particles *Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) Carbon footprint At least 12 million barrels of oil are used per year in the manufacture of those plastic grocery bags Source: (Wall Street Journal) http://www.inspirationgreen.com/plastic-bag-stats.html US Geopolitics Using plastic bags creates demand for oil keeps oil prices higher Many of the worst supporters of terrorism (ISIS) benefit from higher oil prices Anti-democratic oil-based regimes (“petro-dictators”) use oil as a cash cow to placate their populations and maintain control Source: New York Times Article: Steep Slide in Oil Prices Is Blessing for Most http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/06/business/slide-in-oil-prices-is-mostlya-blessing.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=secondcolumn-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news There is a huge advantage to the US if oil prices are low because bad actors lose their financial power For those who support Israel, geopolitically this is even more important to them! If you love freedom and democracy… Source: Friedman, T. 2008. Hot, Flat And Crowded, p98-99. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Paper Bags are not the answer either! Source: Paper vs. Plastic Environmental Disadvantages of Each http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/paper-plastic1.htm Paper bag production: Emits 70% more pollution than plastic bags Emits 80% more greenhouse gases than plastic bags – and uses trees that could be absorbing carbon dioxide Results in 50x more water pollutants vs plastic bags Consumes Uses 4x energy vs plastic bags 3x the water vs plastic bags 91% more energy used to recycle a pound of paper than a pound of plastic Paper bags generate 80% more solid waste So decreasing disposable bag use has benefits! Less pollution Decreased carbon footprint Less oil consumption Better for USA Bad for terrorists and oil dictators Better for climate security The answer is….a washable, reusable bag! For more information: Livingston Recycling & Reclamation Committee – Bag Initiative Subcommittee Renee Resky - Chairperson rresky@livingstonnj.org (973) 992-5000 x5405 For more information go to www.livingstonnj.org and search for Bag Initiative Laurie Babij Karen Garber Missi Kimmel Walter LeVine Special thanks to Councilman Shawn R. Klein for his research and development of this slideshow
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