Take action!!

I'm introducing you to my persuasion essay in IE Writing.
My theme is that Plastic bags should not be free.
I hope you will think of environment in our world and take action by reading my essay.

Most people usually take plastic bags to put the stuff which they buy when they go shopping. According to reuseablebags.com, about 500 million to 1 trillion plastic bags are used in the world every year. People do not care how many plastic bags they waste because they do not pay for plastic bags. Therefore, plastic bags should not be free. People should pay for plastic bags and learn how plastic bags are harmful to the environment. There are three main reasons why plastic bags are harmful and they should not be free; a consumption of natural resources, a destruction of marine life and an addition to landfill waste.


Firstly, plastic bags are made from oil and natural gas. However, oil and natural gas are limited and will run out unless we reconsider using them. According to reuseablebags.com, in Ireland people have to pay taxes for plastic bags and approximately 18,000,000 liters of oil have been saved since 2001. If we did in the same way Ireland people do, it is clear that we would be able to save an enormous amount of oil.


Secondly, plastic bags cause a destruction of marine life. According to Planet Ark, at least 100,000 birds, whales, seals and turtles are killed by eating bags mistaken for food. Some species are threatened by extinction because of plastic bags. People throw away used plastic bags and tens of thousands of innocent animals are killed by swallowing plastic bags. It shows that we only think of ourselves, not of animals. We must think of other animals because we coexist with them.


Finally, plastic bags are difficult to be dumped because they cannot be decomposed. According to Features, it takes plastic bags 20 to 1,000 years to decompose. Therefore, it is not only our trouble, but also it will be our descendant’s. We have a responsibility to protect our world in the future. Planet Ark notes that over 200,000 plastic bags are dumped every hour. Features points that “if each Australian family used one less plastic bags each week, Australians would save 253 million plastic bags a year.”　What we have to do is to refuse to take the plastic bags once a week when we go shopping so that we can save huge quantities of plastic bags.


This essay has shown that plastic bags should not be free, due to a consumption of natural resources, a destruction of marine life and an addition to landfill waste to protect our world. Instead of plastic bags, people should bring cloth bags with them when they go shopping. Cloth bags are light, sturdy and reusable and they are not harmful if they are burned. It is important that each person in each country should think and take actions.



Work Cited:
“The Real Cost of ‘Free’” reusablebags.com. 2003-2007.
<http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php.>
“No bag, thanks!” Features. 2007.
<http://www.abc.net.au/science/features/bags/default.htm>
“Why are plastic bags a problem?” Planet Ark.2007<http://www/planetark.com.campaignspage.cfm/newsid/52/newsDate/7/story.htm