Since plastic bags were invented in1840, they have given a lot
of convenience for our lives due to their practicality, so most of the grocery
stores have used them for packing customers’ purchases.
However, recently we started to
realize the serious problems that plastic bags pose for our health. Hence, the
state government started a ban on retailers providing customers with plastic
bags, and as a result, it has been a big issue in Austin today, and
there are mixed feeling as to if this ban is necessary.
Jessica’s article exactly
describes Austin citizens’ frustration because they can’t use convenient
plastic bags. She thinks that banning plastic bags is just another way of the
government trying to take away our rights. She also emphasizes individual
citizen should be able to decide if they want to use plastic bags or not, and
it is our right.
It is true. Banning plastic bags is definitely creating so many inconveniences,
and many that feel the government took away our right to choose. However,
have you ever thought about why the government tries to use this
system even though it causes citizens lots of inconveniences or how
using too many plastic bags is much more harmful for our health than
worrying about reusable bags’ “deadly bacterial growth” ?
If the government only
thinks about the economic cost cutting by banning plastic bags, it is an
definitely exploitation of our right to choose. However, more than
anything else, the important thing is related to our health. If we
know about how using plastic bags has much more serious and harmful health
problems, we definitely can overcome or be a little bit more patient when it
comes to these inconveniences.
According to scientific
research, plastic bags can take up to 1000 years to degrade back into the soil,
and they also release carcinogen, a huge amount of cancer causing agent during
the degrading time. As another reason, plastic bags are also made
from polyethylene which is derived from natural gas and crude oil, so using
lots of plastic bags depletes natural resources. Plastic bags can have lots of problems for our
future.
How about suggesting good sources for reducing customers’ inconveniences? For
example, stores can discount some money for customers who bring their own bags
or pack groceries in actual trash bags for a cost rather than
claiming the plastic bag ban should be repealed. It is more
rational, and it also better for our health, and moreover, for our next
generation’s bright future, it will be better in the long run.
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