Waste is one of the main problems of modern life. There are numerous type of waste that is non-degradable, they will remain in the land field after years if we do not do any treatment to them. Plenty of materials like rubber, synthetic fabric, metal, and plastic also end up floating in the sea water and confuse the animals whether they are source of their meals or not. There are countless cases of plastics being eaten by sea creatures and found inside their digestive organs.
If we question about from where the waste comes from, the answer is definitely from our daily life consumptions. For instance, plastic is one of those materials which we cannot life without, since the usage of plastics covers every aspect of our daily activity: we wake up in the early morning then take a bath with soap and shampoo packaged in plastics, we take a breakfast of our favorite cereal inside the plastic bag, and so on.
To reduce the amount of plastic waste, serious commitment are needed to be applied by every part of societies. One among them is to cut it from where the plastic are mostly produced: plastic shopping bags. Some countries already ban the use of plastic shopping bags and require anyone who goes to the market to bring their own reusable bags. The regulation make it compulsory for any corporation who owns shopping and retail business to follow by not making plastic shopping bags available. Some people consider that this method is effective to decrease the level of plastic waste.
However, the term and condition is usually followed by replacing the plastic bags with another ones made from different material such as fabric or paper. Of course it is not supporting the purpose of the elimination of plastic bags, since waste is still produced. It happens quite often when visitors do not bring their own shopping bag. Some people argue that it is not the shopping bag that matters, it is about the material used.
One of the significant breakthrough is using plastic bags made from biodegradable plant-based materials like cassava peel or banana trunk. We do not need to feel worry about how much plastic bags is produced everyday, if it gives no disadvantages to the environment. In conclusion, I agree if we banned non-degradable plastic bags. But in the end, the one that matters is the material of the shopping bag, whether they help pursuing the sustainable environment or not.