Plastic Bags
The jumping on the band wagon to completely ban plastic bags is based on poor erroneous information and is completely counter productive. There is absolutely no evidence to support the notion that plastic bags kill at least 100,000 birds, whales ,seals and turtles every year. In 1987 a Canadian Study in Newfoundland, found that between 1981 and 1984, more than 100,000 marine mammals , including birds were killed by discarded nets. There was absolutely no mention of plastic bags. Fifteen years later the Australian Government commissioned a report into plastic bags and its authors then misquoted the Newfoundland study, mistakenly attributing the deaths to “plastic bags”. Using plastic bags in East Hampshire therefore will not harm our wildlife. Our recycling centres can now recycle yellow pages and shredded paper. Why is it not possible for our yellow pages to be collected in our black bins ? Whose smart idea was it to ban business vehicles from our recycling centres. Surely waste is wasteand the vast majority is private.
PLASTIC BAGS............THE MYTHS
Many will recall the MMR debarcle. Poor science led in some areas of the UK to only 60% of children are receiving MMR jab . This decline has already led to a rise in the number of measles infections, and there are fears of an epidemic outbreak. Dr Andrew Wakefields research was not properly questioned at the time resulting in enormous problems.
Again, the claim that at least 200 million plastic bags end up as litter on our streets every year and 47% of wind bourne litter from landfills is plastic. Doesn’t say much for the way we control landfill sites? What strange claims! As is the claim that plastic bags take between 500 and 1,000 years to breakdown.. Can we not make bags that take less time to compost?
The dreaded plastic bag is often used to wrap waste before placing it in our wellie bins to save us from contamination while we wait a fortnight for the collection to take place. If we had a prolonged hot spell, unfortunately the chances of disease and vermin would be considerably increased .
In our statistically based world, the only criteria appears to be the final percentage of recyclable goods collected. The actual environment takes second fiddle and it could be argued that say the glass collection now in operation over all EHDC does more harm than good. In our rural parishes the amount of glass collected must equate with the cost to the environment in transport etc. and the subsequent carbon footprint.
We need a complete rethink on Recycling. It should be based nationally and not left to individual councils to make up their own rules and regulations. In the meantime surely it is time yellow pages were able to be recycled in the black bin and I would personally like to see plastic bags no longer made the villain of the peace.
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