Alternative Solutions
The use of plastic bags by individuals is associated with various environmental and economic effects. Plastic bags are non biodegradable and this can cause environmental pollution hence expose individuals to risks that are associated with environmental degradation (Sinclair & Miriam 30). There are various alternative solutions that can be used to address the problem associated with the use of plastic bags. Some of the alternative solutions that can be used to address the problems associated with the use of plastic bags include the use of paper bags, reusable bags and other biodegradable plastic bags. Other alternative solutions to the problem might include eliminating production of plastic bags and appropriate disposal of plastic waste.
Paper Bags
Paper bags are biodegradable and can decompose within a short duration of time as compared to plastic bags. The ability of paper bags to decompose easily reduces their chances of polluting the environment (Hopewell at al 2122). This can ensure that the environment is safe and healthy hence can not affect the life of animals and plants in the society. The chemicals used to manufacture plastic bags are highly poisonous and can significantly pollute the environment leading to loss of plants and animals life. They can also render the land and water bodies less productive through contamination. This problem can be solved through the use of paper bags as an alternative to the plastic bags.
This alternative solution is however not effective since it can also be attributed to a number of environmental degradation such as the depletion of trees that are used to manufacture the paper bags. Some of the paper bags are also not biodegradable and can cause some significant negative effects, hence using paper bags can not help solve the problems effectively.
Reusable Bags
Another way of ensuring that the problems associated with the use of plastic bags are reduced is to implement the use of reusable bags instead of plastic bags. The reusable bags can be made of biodegradable materials and used by individuals in place of plastic bags (Sinclair & Miriam 32). In this case individuals should be encouraged to use the reusable bags whenever they are shopping so as to avoid the use of plastic bags during shopping. It is recommended that reusable bags should be carried by people every time they are involved in shopping.
The alternative of using reusable bags can be costly to the society. The materials that are used to manufacture reusable bags are costly as compared to the materials used to manufacture plastic bags. In addition customers are required to pay high prices so as to be able to acquire reusable bags. This can make them become unaffordable to some customers hence affects their effectiveness in solving the problems associated with the use of plastic bags. It is also inconvenient for individuals to carry reusable bags every time they are out for a shopping. This can make individuals to be reluctant to use the bags hence affect its efficiency in solving the problems associated with the use of plastic bags.
Ban on Plastic Bags
Another way of solving the problem associated with the use of plastic bags is to ban their usage in the society. Banning the use of plastic bags can be achieved through enacting legislation and policies that ban the use and production of plastic bags by all individuals in the society (Ayalon et al 2029). Countries can enact strict laws that are aimed at discouraging the use of plastic bags. The ban in the use of plastic bags can ensure that the use of plastic bags is reduced to zero. This can discourage companies from manufacturing plastic bags as it will be unprofitable business venture. Organization will therefore be encouraged to conduct research and development programs so as to be able to come up with appropriate alternative products of plastic bags. This can results to invention of biodegradable bags that are efficient and environmental friendly.
The alternative solution of banning the use of plastic bag is time consuming and expensive. Enacting legislation and policies involves the participation of various stakeholders within the society. The opinions and needs of the stakeholders might be different and conflicting hence can make the enacting of the laws to take a long period of time. It is also costly for countries to change and enact new laws. Lack of appropriate resources such as human skills and funds can affect the implementation of the new laws.
Solution
From the evaluation the alternatives, the best solution that can be used to address the problem associated with the use of plastic bags is to introduce the use of reusable bags in the community. Intrducing the use of reusable bags can be encouraged in a number of ways such as exposing a ban on the production and use of plastic bags and giving incentives to individuals using reusable bags in the society as well as increasing taxation on all plastic bags (Convery et al 9). This alternative provides the best solution since a single reusable bag can be used for a number of years before it is disposed. This can lead to a reduction in environmental pollution and degradation. The materials used to manufacture the reusable bags should be biodegradable so as to make them environmental friendly.
In fact, currently some of the retail shops are encouraging their customers to carry reusable bags whenever they are shopping (Axelsson & Finn 28). The retail shops can encourage the use of reusable bags by offering various incentives to customers who bring their own reusable bags. The incentives that can be used to encourage customers to bring their own reusable bags include trade discounts on goods to customers who bring their own reusable bags during a shopping.
Works Cited
Axelsson, Björn, & Finn Wynstra. Buying business services, Chichester: John Wiley, 2002. Print
Ayalon, Ofira, et al. “Reduction of plastic carrier bag use: An analysis of alternatives in Israel.”
Waste management 29.7 (2009): 2025-2032. Print
Convery, Frank, Simon McDonnell, & Susana Ferreira. “The most popular tax in Europe?
Lessons from the Irish plastic bags levy.” Environmental and Resource Economics 38.1 (2007): 1-11. Print
Hopewell, Jefferson, Robert Dvorak, and Edward Kosior. “Plastics recycling: challenges and
opportunities.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 364.1526 (2009): 2115-2126. Print
Sinclair, Andrew, & Miriam Monge. “Quantitative economic evaluation of single use
disposables in bioprocessing.” Pharmaceutical Engineering 22.3 (2002): 20-34. Print
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