Doing something as simple as using reusable shopping bags can save the earth’s wildlife. A devastating number of turtles, birds, whales, and other animals die annually because plastic bags are mistaken for food like jellyfish. Once an animal ingests a plastic bag, it cannot be digested, so it settles in the animal’s gut, preventing the digestion of other foods and resulting in extremely painful and slow death.
A plastic bag can literally take 1000 years before it breaks down, so after an animal dies from eating the plastic and its body breaks down, the plastic is left behind and can be ingested by another animal.
Turtle food
About 40 percent of autopsies performed on turtles confirm that death is due to plastic bags stuck in their intestinal tract. When the plastic bags float in the water, they look a lot like jellyfish, which are the favorite food source of some turtles. These deaths can be prevented if everyone just uses reusable grocery bags every time they go to the store.
In 2007, a turtle was found to have more than 50 items in its intestinal tract, including nylon string, plastic bags, cling film, balloons, and candy wrappers. The less plastic gets into the environment, the safer wildlife will be.
Shameful seas
A Bryde’s whale that was stranded and died on Cairns beach in August 2000 had an autopsy performed to reveal 20 square feet of tight plastic, primarily shopping bags, lodged in its stomach. So many whales like this die in the ocean where the plastic is eventually exposed back to the water for other sea creatures to feed on, creating a slimy cycle.
It is estimated that more than 100,000 sea creatures die each year due to plastic pollution. These animals do not die instantly, they are suffering. Imagine not being able to digest any food and then not being able to eat because of it and literally starving yourself from plastic bags and other plastic products. Every time consumers go to the store, they make a conscious decision to use a reusable shopping bag or not. It is not understandable why someone would still choose to wear traditional bags, knowing the damage they are creating.
Are changes coming?
It is not uncommon to find flamingos, platypus, and other animals strangled from becoming entangled in plastic bags and not being able to spin out. In Australia, in 2008, a crocodile was found dead with 25 plastic bags in its stomach. In addition, pelicans, gulls and other birds with the same cause of death are found daily.
Due to these figures and other environmental concerns, many countries such as Bangladesh, Taiwan, China, and Italy have banned plastic bags altogether or passed laws to charge for them, making reusable bags the top choice.
Sadly, in the United States, the plastics industries are coming together tightly to resist potential laws or bans, claiming that jobs will disappear. It is estimated that Americans throw away a minimum of 100 billion bags per year. However, some cities are taking their own approach. Places like New York City talk of imposing a tax of 600 per plastic bag dispensed. Many stores already offer small incentives to consumers who bring their own eco-friendly bags with them when they shop.
Small changes are happening, but you don’t have to wait for city taxes or state laws to make a difference. Stop using plastic bags today to save tomorrow’s animals.