Bag It
BagIT, a documentary film by Reel Thing Productions, chronicles the global production, use, and disposal of plastic bags and other plastics. The film documents the environmental consequences of these products, including the effects of plastics on a wide range of species, lands, waterways and oceans. The film will also identify smart alternatives and solutions.
In the United States alone, an estimated 12 million barrels of oil is used annually to make the plastic bags that Americans consume. The United States International Trade Commission reported that 102 billion plastic bags were used in the U.S. in 2009. These bags often wind up in waterways or on the landscape, becoming eyesores and degrading water and soil as they break down into toxic bits. Their manufacture, transportation and disposal use large quantities of non-renewable resources and release equally large amounts of global-warming gases. Ecologically, hundreds of thousands of marine animals die every year when they eat plastic bags mistaken for food.
Governments around the world have taken action to ban or restrict the use of plastic bags. In 2008, China banned the use of ultra-thin plastic bags, and it is estimated to have eliminated 40 billion bags in the first year. Ireland placed a fee on plastic bags and reportedly reduced consumption by 90%.
Towns all over the United States are rising to the challenge and standing up to the oil, gas and plastic industries. San Francisco has banned plastic bags. Seattle has fought a hard fight to place a fee on single-use disposable plastic AND paper bags, only to be shut down by the American Chemistry Council, a group that profits greatly from the production of plastic bags. The ACC spends millions to combat anti-plastic bag campaigns.
In spite of this challenge, U.S. cities including Austin, Boston, New Haven, Portland, Phoenix and Annapolis, are considering bag bans or fees.
Check out the website for information on the impact of plastic bags, and for opportunities to screen the film or get involved.
