2. What’s The Big Deal?
The
average American uses 500 plastic
bags per year, each requiring a half
gallon of petroleum to produce
As a nation, we consume 100 billion
plastic bags a year
If all of these bags were connected, they
could wrap around the Earth’s equator
776 times!
3. What happens to all
those bags?
Less than 1% of plastic bags are recycled in America
4. Effects of Plastic Bag Use
Oil and natural
gas used to
create bags
Toxins
enter
our food
web
consumers
Animals get
poisoned,
trapped,
and
strangled
Thrown
away or
littered
5. National Action
• University of Oregon, Eugene
• California State University, Long
Beach
• Tufts University, Boston
• William and Mary College, VA
• Portland, OR
• San Francisco, CA
• Outer Banks, NC
6. Our Sustainable History
Meredith College
Meredith College
receives City of
receives City of
Raleigh Environmental
Raleigh Environmental
Award 2009
Goal 2: Meredith will model
environmental responsibility
in daily operations
Goal 2.1: Meredith will
minimize waste generated
7. Campus Plan of Action:
o Replace plastic bags with recycled paper bags
or multi-use bags
o Give each student a reusable bag upon entry to
Meredith
o Install a plastic bag recycling station in the
Science and Math Building
o Collaborate with Angels for the Environment,
Student Life Committee, and other student
organizations on campus for support
Editor's Notes
More than 267 species of animals have been known to become entangled or killed by plastic bags in their habitats1 billion sea birds and mammals die every year due to plastic bag litterPlastic bags photodegrade into toxic little pieces that enter water ways and the food chain upon animal consumptionPlastic particles absorb deadly chemicals like PCB, which make them even more toxic when accidentally ingestedPetroleum and natural gas are required for production or plastic bags, which worsens pollution
