In the past, completely natural paper bags, cloth bags and nets were used instead of bags. In this way, what people ate and drank remained healthy. Today, the situation is very different.

It does not seem possible to remove plastic bags from our lives, which can cause irreversible damage to the human body if not taken seriously. These bags, which are produced very cheaply, have serious effects on the environment and foodstuffs thanks to the chemicals in their structure, both at the time of use and at the time of deterioration, depending on their quality. In addition, for a plastic bag to completely disappear from nature, it takes 400 years at sea and 800 years on land.

WHAT IS THE USE OF PLASTIC BAG?

The use of nylon bags began in 1982 all over the world, and in Turkey at the end of the 1980s. This new habit was accepted as a sign of civilization and became widespread.

It is estimated that between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags are used in the world every year. Moreover, 380 billion of this number is used only in the USA. In some countries, governments impose various bans or apply taxes to reduce the use of plastic bags.

In Mexico, the use of plastic bags is prohibited. The use of plastic bags is also prohibited in India. In fact, India is the leader in banning the use of plastic bags. However, it is stated that there are some problems in the implementation of this ban. The use of plastic bags is banned in all cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Vasco. Plastic bags are banned in Bangladesh, Rwanda and 12 cities in Australia. In Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands, plastic bags are sold in stores for a fee.

DAMAGES OF PLASTIC BAG

– One of the biggest responsible for the increase in cancer cases is plastic bags. When exposed to heat or sun, the substances in its composition dissolve and cause cancer.

– Due to the plastic bags thrown into the nature, animals such as dolphins, seals, whales and sea turtles mistake the bags for food and eat them. This causes them to die by causing deterioration in their digestive system.

– Because nylon bags are transparent, they absorb heat like a greenhouse and cause forest fires.

– Nylon bags containing chemical substances, especially black ones, can harm not only the soil, but also human health through the vegetables and fruits placed in them. In particular, fruits such as figs, grapes, strawberries that may be in contact with the bag should not be transported in these bags.

– When nylon bags begin to deteriorate in nature, they emit harmful chemicals to the environment, and these substances mix with the soil and water and gradually pollute our food chain.

HOW CAN I TAKE PRECAUTIONS?

– Less plastic bags should be used. When only 2 bags less per week are used, approximately 100 bags per person per year are not thrown away.

– Cloth bags, nets, wheeled market bags or baskets should be used for shopping. This means 6 bags per person per week, 24 per month, 288 per year, and 20,160 fewer bags over a 70-year life span. If one out of every five people in Turkey stops using PLASTIC BAGS, 37 billion less plastic bags will be consumed in 70 years.

– In order to consume less paper bag, products that do not need to be put separately in the bag should be put together. Small cloth bags should be obtained for the products to be separated.

– Paper bags and plastic bags used in shopping should be reused. Vegetable, fruit, meat and Fish type foods should not be bought in packaged form, drinks in glass bottles should be preferred. Avoid buying products sold in plastic bags.

– Nylon bags and paper bags should be recycled.

– Apartment managers can collect and sell nylon and plastic derivatives by putting recycling bins. They can provide a small amount of financial income for their apartments and contribute to the prevention of environmental pollution.

– Plastic products should be disposed of in bags separately from other wastes in order to reduce the risk of germs for those who collect plastic products from the garbage and to make them easier to collect.