Times are tough. We can no more flaunt plastic bags sans “I’m not a Plastic Bag” logo on it. Those who are still doing it will have to bear the burns of being green sinister. Anyway, don’t get surprised to hear that even our recycled bags are hurting the environment. We all know that plastic bags are not degraded and produce toxic substances affecting the marine animals as well as the planet. A number of public policy plans have taken place in the past including voluntary reduction programs and fee on the plastic bags to check its usage. The main motto was to force the consumers to switch to reusable bags. The reusable bags are environmental friendly and are easily degraded. But recently, as reported by the Environment and Plastics Industry Council (EPIC), a standing committee of the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA), these reusable bags are not safe for the humans and pose health risks.
Reusable bags are not as good as you think
According to the study conducted by EPIC, the bags are environmental friendly but they pose certain threat to the humans.
The main problems posed:
• The reusable grocery bags contain certain levels of bacterial contamination, yeast or mold and intestinal fecal bacteria which are embedded in the surface creating problems like asthma and allergies.
• In Canada, annually 13 million cases of food poisoning frequently evolve due to contaminated surface which passes bacteria onto the food.
• Bags are used to transport gym equipments or diapers carry Staphylococcusaureus strain (drug- resistant) causes skin and ear infections.
Environment Vs Health
However, another report from the University College London, states that climatic change poses more threat to the humans rather than using reusable bags.
Climate change would result in food contamination, water and sanitation problems, natural disasters, extreme destruction of human settlement leading to migration and changing pattern of disease and death rate.
According to WHO, the change in climatic will contribute to 150,000 deaths and 5 million illnesses each year, which estimates that the world is bearing a massive “disease burden” due to the contamination of air, water, soil and food.
Last year’s complete study found that as the climate continues to increase it will expand the habitat of the pests carrying infectious diseases and will directly affect the human health.
As per Reuter’s reports, a 25% increase will be seen in heat waves in Chicago and four-to-eightfold increase in Los Angeles. The increase will directly affect the humans and will cause heart problems and asthma.
Due to global warming, the people living in warmer countries will be affected from Lyme and malaria diseases, which is caused due to the migration of disease carrying pests. Moreover, water borne diseases like cholera will be produced.
Via: Blisstree