How Did We Become so Reliant on Plastic and Plastic Bags?

A whale was found washed up on a Philippines shore earlier this year. Its stomach was filled with 40kg of plastic. That’s equal to 7,272 plastic shopping bags.

These days, one of the few things more ubiquitous than the reports of plastic pollution, and the retaliating demands for change, is plastic itself. Be it under the sink, in a cupboard, almost everyone can find a collection of plastic bags and plastic containers lying around their house.

But how did we get here? Back in the 1960s, plastic was seldom seen. Paper was used to carry groceries and wrap up meat and fish, glass was used for items like milk bottles and other goods, fruit and vegetables were often found loose in the supermarket aisles. Fast forward a little over 50 years and plastic is found everywhere, not least the 150 million metric tons that is currently circulating our oceans.

This article will explore how we came to be so reliant on plastic and why it took so long for us to realise the destruction this reliance would cause.

When and why did plastic become so popular?

High density polyethylene bags as we know them today were patented in Sweden in 1965. Their superiority to paper bags were apparent from the start. Not only were they stronger, allowing consumers to carry more items without the risk of their goods spilling onto the floor, but they were also cheaper to manufacture, making them attractive to supermarkets and other businesses. By 1979, 80% of supermarkets throughout Europe were using plastic. By the early 1980s, supermarkets throughout the US were equally as accommodating.

It is estimated that between 1-5 trillion plastic bags are consumed each year. Even at the most conservative end of that estimate, that equates to over one million plastic bags per minute. Scientists estimate it will take around 1000 years for a single plastic bag to decompose back into its core elements. As of right now, it is proposed that there are around 150 million metric tons of plastic currently in the ocean from a variety of different sources.

Currently, supermarkets and other retailers still widely use plastic packaging, whether it be to enclose your fruit and vegetables on the shelves, or send online orders in the mail. Despite the known benefits, we have to ask the question whether this is entirely necessary considering we survived without plastic in previous years?

What is the problem with plastic in the ocean?

Nearly 700 marine species are known to have been affected by plastic, with over 100,000 marine animals believed to be killed every year as a direct result of the ocean waste. Sea turtles choke on plastic bags after mistaking them for their primary food source: jellyfish. Not only do they die as a result, but the plastic bag persists even after the body has decomposed, leading to another form of marine life falling victim to the same piece of plastic. And so the cycle continues.

Microplastics are the extremely small pieces of plastic debris, often invisible to the human eye, that break off from larger pieces of plastic waste. A significant issue with microplastic is that their diminutive size enables them to pass through filters where chunkier pieces of plastic would not. This means that microscopic pieces of plastic are finding their way via the ocean into the water we drink. An analysis from The World Health Organisation found that more than 90% of some of the world’s most popular bottled water brands contained microplastic. Another study found high levels of microplastic in tap water.

The effects that these microplastics have on the human body remain unclear. The first media reports of microplastic in drinking water appear in 2017, meaning little time has passed for subsequent studies to unravel any long-term effects. Many analyses cite that microplastics simply pass through the body with no issue. Others state that microplastics can carry harmful toxins that get released into the body once ingested. It appears that only time will tell how the effects of our plastic consumption will manifest in human health.

Why weren’t the problems of plastic foreseen?

The 80s was a very different time. Though speculation of carbon emissions affecting the atmosphere had been present since the early 20th century, there was simply not enough evidence to convince or concern the general population. The fate of our planet was not at the forefront of most people’s minds like it is today, and hence the effects of widespread plastic use was never much of a consideration; it was certainly not enough of a consideration to override the convenience of plastic for both consumer and producer.

What is the current situation?

In October 2019, the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a target to reduce single-use plastic by at least 50% by 2025. With the introduction of the plastic bag charge in the UK and large retailers firmly committed to reducing their usage of plastic packaging, there are signs of an improvement. However, campaigners feel the proposals don’t go far enough. With mounting evidence of how plastic usage is impacting the environment, there is certainly much more public knowledge and awareness of how everyone can correctly recycle plastic and avoid it altogether.

Here at Stevenage Glass, we work alongside a local glass recycling company and recycle as much glass as possible. We aim to reach a 100% rate of glass recycling in the near future. We are also committed to reducing our use of plastic wherever possible throughout our showroom, factory and delivery service. If you’d like further information about our commitment to the environment, or to find out more about our glass products and glazing services, get in touch with us today.