The Journey of a Plastic Bag

            The journey a plastic bag takes from any convenience store is beyond anyones imagination. The efforts before and after the usage are far too advance for the simplicity of this convenience carrier. An excessive and unnecessary amount of energy is used to produce and demolish plastic bags after their short span of usage. Plastic bags have far exceeded their welcome in our environment as they take over oceans, landfills, cities, urban streets and the stomachs of animals. Plus, the amount of labor as a result of their daily destruction is something our country cannot afford. The dependency they create on natural oil is out of our countrys reach. As plastic bags continue to be produced, our environment and economy are going to suffer. If our government does not take forth actions to ban plastic bags, our country will continue to suffer through our natural resources, environment and oceans. .
             Every day, we witness plastic bags that have been traveling the earth for decades. If the Pilgrims had supermarkets and stores that supplied these bags, the remains would still be found today. They are inexpensively designed with a brief use but it is the aftermath that is so costly and harmful to our environment. Plastic bags cost grocery stores under 2 cents per bag whereas paper bags cost 4-6 cents each (Mieszkowski). Although they are less in cost, plastic bags are close to impossible to properly recycle. So in the long run, resorting to paper bags is healthier for our environment and cost less to clean up, since they are biodegradable. Although paper bags are more costly to manufacture, the millions of dollars used for the cleanup and production of plastic bags should cover the minor difference. Manufactured from polyethylene, a complex product of petroleum and natural gases, plastic bags place more pressure on our country to import precious fossil fuels. The ink and colorants is made of toxic lead.