Table of ContentsHidden Threats of Plastic Bags to the EarthConclusionReferences Every two people produces a pound of plastic waste. With around 7 billion people on the planet, imagine the amount of plastic waste devastating our oceans and ruining lives. To preserve our planet and all life on it, moves to ban plastic bags have been underway and a handful of states have already acted accordingly. Plastic, being a non-biodegradable material, harms not only poor animals but also humans. Directly due to the effects of plastic on the health of the environment and our own well-being, the plastic bag ban should be enforced and its benefits are revealed in this essay. Plastic harms the Earth due to its non-biodegradable construction and poses a major danger to marine life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The Hidden Threats of Plastic Bags to the Earth Let's jump straight to one of the main reasons why plastic poses such a threat to the ecosystem, while its chemical composition does not. allow the material to decompose easily. Wilson says: “Plastic does not biodegrade in any significant, or even understandable, time frame.” So what does this mean for our Earth? This means that the plastic produced today will not disappear any time soon. Consequently, the ecosystem will have to support “a significant amount of plastic which will end up in our oceans”. Given the non-biodegradable composition of plastic, the rate at which humans make and consume plastic must be moderate, because "the more plastic comes into the world and accumulates in landfills, on land, in rivers and in the sea ". By banning plastic bags, the amount of plastic regulated in the United States would be managed in the most efficient and ecosystem-friendly way. With this ban, the amount of destructive materials floating in the oceans would be reduced, for the benefit of future generations. In addition to being non-biodegradable, a second threat posed by plastic is a peril to animals, particularly marine animals. Every year, we produce “nearly 300 million tonnes of plastic” which ends up in the oceans and seas. Seabirds and sea turtles, whose species contain "plastic in more than 60% of all seabirds and 100% of sea turtles", are typically the hardest hit among sea creatures victimized by the plastic pollution, where a high proportion of plastic waste discarded at sea is plastic bags. Ironically, in addition to posing a danger to sea creatures, the plastic waste we produce can also harm our health. As Ritschel points out, “British people who eat fish risk consuming 11,000 plastic fragments every year.” Those who rely on seafood consume plastic by eating fish that have ingested plastic waste in the ocean. The takeaway from this concept is that not only are we harming other lives by being environmentally reckless, but we are also harming ourselves. For this reason, if we choose to favor reusable bags over plastic bags, we are doing ourselves and wildlife a huge service. Contrary to the belief that banning plastic bags will be beneficial, many oppose.