Italy – the first EU country stops using plastic bags
Italy announced that from the very start of 2011 it bans plastic bags and suggest every consumer choosing paper, biodegradable or long-lasting fabric bags.
It is believed, that such a drastic, yet useful decision will save up to 180,000 tons of CO2 emissions, as it is estimated, that the Italians are the major plastic bag users (25 percent of all used in Europe) and each person uses 300-400 plastic bags per year.
According to the survey, many Italians prefer reusable bags, besides that, the Italian government promotes them as a fashionable accessory. The only problem might be poor memory when leaving such a bag at home, but then comes an option of choosing biodegradable bag, which also can be used once again.
Plastic bags may be called as one of the key environmental concerns, as it is very slowly degradable. It can take even up to 1,000 years for the plastic bag to decompose. Due to such a long tem, plastic bags separate into small pieces and then release toxic chemicals into rivers, lakes and oceans. Also, hundreds of marine species ingest these bags believing this s a food and are killed as a result.