minimizing the use of plastic shopping bags
Human beings are alarmingly faced with an array of environmental degradation and disposable plastic bags are a huge contribution to this phenomenon. I am of the view that the use of plastic shopping bags should be limited to protect our nature but cannot be absolutely altered as it also comes with its convenience.
On the one hand, as more non-biodegradable plastic bags are consumed and discarded, more detrimental impacts have been inflicted. The practice of overusing plastic bags is perceived to be the main culprit of global warming resulting in the extinction of a various range of mammals since their habitats have no longer capable of providing them with residence and nutrients. Moreover, the overload of plastic waste being dumped into the environment which takes hundred to thousand of years to dilute also negatively affects the human respiratory system as there are no appropriate recycling facilities, but to burn them that harmful substances are discharged into the air.
On the other hand, the convenience that plastic shopping bags or elastic, in general, bring with them is so indispensable that we can barely find a replacement. While some people think that we could use paper as a substitute, I would contend that this change might lead to a worse consequence since it pushes the process of cutting down forests without replanting them again. In addition, plastic bags are so flexible when we run errands buying liquid products while paper bags have competence to hold.
In conclusion, although plastic bags pose a grave threat to the environment due to their non-biodegradable nature, they are still a part of our daily basis owing to their convenience. However, we should all put effort into minimizing the use of plastic shopping bags.