Plastic Bags

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Plastic Bags

Agriculture

Flooding as a result of plastic bag drainage blocking can be damaging to crops

Plastic bag water pollution can have a negative impact on aquatic livestock

Government

Have the power to either ban or allow the use of plastic bags; ongoing debate

Plastic bags are often littered. Litter costs tax money

Consumers

The large scale detrimental effects may indirectly have a negative effect on consumers (i.e. food, atmosphere contaminated as a result of pollution, increase of mosquito population causing a rise in West Nile and Triple E Viruses, etc.)

Plastic bags are significantly cheaper than reusable bags; cheap, efficient vessel to transport things

Feeds into consumer culture - easy to use and dispose of, no need to maintain/keep lying around like a reusable bag

Main topic

Businesses

Plastic bag manufacturing provides thousands of jobs in Canada

90% of plastic bags used by Canadians are manufactured by Canadians; this industry provides a lot of people their livelihoods

Contributes to higher prices in stores, as price for plastic bags must be accounted for (unless consumers pay for them separately)

Environment

Plastic litter often blocks drainage systems which can cause unnecessary flooding

Flooding can kill wildlife, damage ecosystems

Plastic bags increase the mosquito population by collecting rainwater and providing them a breeding-ground

Since plastic bags are not biodegradable, they pollute oceans, farms, cities, rivers

Marine life impacted by this pollution may fall ill if it consumes the plastic (plastic bags are often mistaken for jellyfish and plankton)