It is no surprise that many governments, whether they be national or local, are looking towards banning the use of plastic bags. The reports are endless regarding the build-up of plastics in our oceans and the subsequent deaths of marine animals and the increasingly poisoned seas. There are many well-known floating islands of plastic across the globe, plastics which are breaking down and harming life on the planet.
Plastic bags take anywhere between 500 and 1,000 years to break down depending upon circumstances (such as where they are located, if they are exposed etc.). Plastic bags have been known to clog waterways and kill birds and other creatures either by digestion or entanglement. All of these things are occurring worldwide just for the ease of use and subsequent disposal for the person using them.
These are among the many reasons that the island of American Samoa has recently announced that they will be banning the use of plastic bags next year. Governor Togiola Tulafono signed the bill into law and the ban will be beginning February 23, 2011. The island is hoping to preserve the beauty of their island through such bills.
The ban does exempt some forms of bags given out by stores. These bags include those which are biodegradable plastic and are not petroleum based and bags which are able to be composted.
This announcement comes on the heels of the recent decision by the State of California to not ban plastic bag use. Lawmakers in the state recently voted against a bill which would have banned the use of such bags all across the state. Plastic bags are already banned in various places across the state, including San Francisco. However, after the recent announcement, Los Angeles, Redondo Beach and Santa Monica have announced that they will pursue their own plastic bag bans.
