"Banish the Bags"

Single-use plastic bags: we use them for everything from garbage, wet bathing suits, picking up doggy-doo, returning borrowed books. Everybody has a bag full of bags in their homes; every store is quick to give us more. They’re everywhere, and we can’t seem to live without them.

The problem with single-use, plastic bags is just that: they are everywhere. Fluttering in the wind, stuck in trees, in playgrounds. They last forever – or at least up to 1,000 years – and, thus, cause great harm to our environment and wildlife.

Currently, in England, The Daily Mail has started an awareness campaign called “Banish the Bag.” They are encouraging consumers and shops alike to cut down – or completely eliminate – the use of plastic bags. The response has been varied: some stores are implementing a charge for the use of bags; others are giving a refund for bags that are reused; others still are choosing to take no action but to put the onus on the consumer to cut back.

We all know, however, that the average shopper tends to not think about things like plastic bags until they are forced to pay for them. However, The Daily Mail’s campaign is also not only attacking people's wallets but also their heartstrings. They are using pictures to make people think: pictures of a cheeky little monkey wrapped in a plastic bag, a majestic lionness chewing on a plastic bag, a stork with its head and body completely covered in a plastic bag. It’s not a pretty sight and makes us think about the effect that each and every one of our bags has on the world around us. Where are your plastic carrier bags ending up? Did you really need them in the first place?

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"Banish the Bags"

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