Bag of Tricks

Questions 1:
1. Why are Plastic Bags so common?
Because plastic bags are so cheap to produce, sturdy, plentiful, easy to carry and store that they captured at least 80 percent of the grocery and convenience store market since they were introduced a quarter century ago, according to the Arlington, Virginia-based American Plastics council.
2. In what other ways is Plastic used?
It's used to sit balled up and stuffed into the one that hangs from the pantry door. They line bathroom trash bins. They carry clothes to the gym. They clutter landfills. They flap from the trees. They float in the breeze. They clog roadside drains. They drift on the high seas. They fill sea turtle bellies.
3. What are the benefits of Plastic Bags?
That plastic bags are very cheap to produce, they can be used in many ways, they can make life easier, and can help to transport things.
4. What are the dangers of Plastic Bags?
Plastic bags can spend eternity in landfills. Floating bags can be matched with jellyfish, to hungry marine critters. More that 100,000 marine animals die for eating or getting entangled in plastic. There are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of the ocean.
5. What has been done so far?
Only 1% of plastic bags are being recycled worldwide. San Francisco and Oakland outlawed the use of plastic bags in large grocery stores and pharmacies, permitting only paper bags. In Ireland the use of bags has diminished a 90%, since they established a 22 cent tax.
6. Has it been successful? Why or why not?
I think it haven't been succesful, because there are still lots of stores (Wal-Mart, Superama, etc) that they still give you plastic bags for everything even if you don't need it. This problem will continue forever, because we use it, the bags will dissapear when the people will not use bag at all.

Questions 2:
1. What are some of the potential benefits of charging fees for and/or banning plastic bags?
It can reduce pollution by inspiring people not to waste, because besides the danger that plastic bags imply, they would be also throwing away their money, so it makes them more careful and conscious about this situation and the people what they most care is money so if they are charched they will stop buying bags, only if they really need it.
2. What are some of the potential drawbacks of such programs?
That sometimes, the government uses the money for their own benefit and not for the countries' benefit. Maybe if they do it on a country like United States, Japan, Norway, etc; it would be perfect, because the people can pay for the bags, but if you do it on a country like Mexico, an African country, etc; it will be more difficult and the bags would have to be very cheaper so the people can pay for that.
3. Which benefits and drawbacks seem the most compelling? Why?
For me the best benefit it would be to make fees for plastic bags, because then the people will think it twice and will only buy bags when they really need them.
I think that if plastic bags are completely banned, it will cause more problems and more money, because it will have to be a machine, a factory, etc, though that can create jobs. But doing it will cause several damages to the ecosystem and we need to start taking care of it.
4. Would you support a local law charging fees for (or banning) plastic bags?
Why or why not?
I would be supporting it for charching fees for plastic bags, because like I say before the only way to make people stop or controling it, is by charching them, to make them pay, because money is the most important thing for people.

Questions 3:
1. Do you agree with this new law? Why or why not?
- Yes, I agree, because it's an excellent way to make all bag makers and stores care for their planet. It's a plan in which they have enough time to develop a new process of degradable plastic and materials, without losing all of their profit.
2. What has been done so far?
- Bimbo company already started a project in which all of it's new plastic packaging is oxo-biodegradable and contains an additive made by the British Company Symphony Technologies.
3. What needs to be done to enforce such a law?
There will be consecuences for those who don't follow it: they will face up to 36 hours in jail, or a maximum fine of 20,000 times the minimum daily wage.
4. What campaigns would you suggest?
I will do videos on T.V, but I will pay to artists or soccer players, to do the comercial, so then the people would want to follow their example. I will put posters on the street. But basically I will use internet, like Facebook or Hi5, I will do groups like "for those that are against plastic bags" or like "Want to keep alive Acapulco, don't use plastic bags" and all those things with lots of images, with very few words. Also I will upload videos to Youtube so everyone in the world would see it.