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==Environmental Justice Issues==
==Environmental Justice Issues==
The environmental justice movement was begun in recognition of the fact that: "Environmental regulations have not uniformly benefited all members of society. People of color (African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans) are disproportionately harmed by industrial toxins on their jobs and in their neighborhoods. These groups must contend with dirty air and drinking water- the byproducts of municipal landfills, incinerators, polluting industries, and hazardous waste treatment storage, and disposal facilities."<ref>http://castle.eiu.edu/~soc1/DeptSyllabiFA08/Hendrickson/EnviroRacism.pdf</ref> Environmental justice issues also cross international borders. Many cheap products we buy in the United States are manufactured in countries that do not have stringent, or any, environmental regulations. Thus, the populations of those exporting countries are bearing the external costs associated with the production of materials we consume. Most plastic shopping bags are made in countries with lax environmental regulations, like China. <ref name="bag"></ref>
The environmental justice movement was begun in recognition of the fact that: "Environmental regulations have not uniformly benefited all members of society. People of color (African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans) are disproportionately harmed by industrial toxins on their jobs and in their neighborhoods. These groups must contend with dirty air and drinking water- the byproducts of municipal landfills, incinerators, polluting industries, and hazardous waste treatment storage, and disposal facilities."<ref>http://castle.eiu.edu/~soc1/DeptSyllabiFA08/Hendrickson/EnviroRacism.pdf</ref> Environmental justice issues also cross international borders. Many cheap products we buy in the United States are manufactured in countries that do not have stringent, or any, environmental regulations. Thus, the populations of those exporting countries are bearing the external costs associated with the production of materials we consume. Most plastic shopping bags are made in countries with lax environmental regulations, like China. <ref name="bag">http://www.vipirg.ca/publications/pubs/student_papers/05_ecofootprint_plastic_bags.pdf</ref>


===Human Health Effects===
===Human Health Effects===

Revision as of 19:14, 30 October 2010

Template:ENGR308inprogress

Meta-team combine the collaborative work here.

Literature Review Synthesis

Master: Existing programs

  • Summary Table / Comparison

Cases reported as of Sunday, 10/24

Location Year Summary of program type Brief Results Relevance
Malibu 2008/2009 Banning of single use plastic bags ? Med
San Francisco 2007 Single use bag ban / still tweaking rules. 5c tax on paper bags? 50% reduction in bag litter, but this is contested, still tweaking rules. Med
Palo Alto 2009 Ban on plastic bags in grocery stores. ? Med
Fairfax
San Jose 2010 Ban on single use paper and plastic, unless paper is 40% recycled. Even recyc. must be purchased for 10c, going up to 25c in 2 years. N/A Med


L.A
Santa Clara County prop. 2011


Telluride, CO 2011 Prohibits take out grocery bags, but not in store bulk and meat bags. N/A Med


Maui 2011 Plastic bag ban. Currently voluntary. N/A Med/Hi
Brownsville, Texas 2011 Plastic Bag Ban/Tax. 1$ surcharge on transactions involving plastic bags. N/A High
American Samoa 2011 Plastic bags illegal. Biodegradable and compostable plastic are OK. N/A Low/Med
Westport, CT 2009 Plastic bag ban. $150 fines for non-compliance of stores. Stores must supply alternate bags, including recyclable paper. 70% increase in reusable bags. Med
Bethel, AK 2010 ? Med-Hi
Edmonds, WA 2009 Ban on plastic bags - all retail establishments
Outer banks, NC 2009 Ban on plastic bags for large retail chains / big-box. ? Low
Baltimore, MD 2010 Bag reduction program. Reusable bags of minimum thickness. Reminder signs. Botched immplementation has led to delays. Ban went into effect, but city registry wasn't properly set up to enforce. Low
Chicago, IL 2010 Recycling of bags at stores. City collects weights and costs to enforce compliance. ? Low
Washington, DC 2010 5 cent bag fee on paper AND plastic. Single bag use dropped from 22 million to 3m. Low
NW Territories, Canada 2010 25c fee on bags. Regional distribution of reusable bags, 2 per household.
China 2008 Ban on manufacture of ultra thin plastic bags, ban on free giveaway of take-away bags, restaurants excluded. One estimate only 15% compliance; 66% reduction, greater in foreign-owned firms than Chinese-owned. Low
Ireland 2001? E$0.15 tax on plastic bags. 90% reduction in plastic bag use.
Mexico City, MX 2009 Bans business from giving out non-biodegradable bags. Stiff legal fines and jail time. ? Low
Taiwan
South Africa
Australia
Italy
Denmark


Baltimore, MD


Master: Efficacy of existing programs

Perhaps this can be combined with the table above? We have limited information, since many of the existing programs are just going into effect or have not yet gone into effect.

Master: Existing Research (Technical)

Environmental Justice Issues

The environmental justice movement was begun in recognition of the fact that: "Environmental regulations have not uniformly benefited all members of society. People of color (African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans) are disproportionately harmed by industrial toxins on their jobs and in their neighborhoods. These groups must contend with dirty air and drinking water- the byproducts of municipal landfills, incinerators, polluting industries, and hazardous waste treatment storage, and disposal facilities."[1] Environmental justice issues also cross international borders. Many cheap products we buy in the United States are manufactured in countries that do not have stringent, or any, environmental regulations. Thus, the populations of those exporting countries are bearing the external costs associated with the production of materials we consume. Most plastic shopping bags are made in countries with lax environmental regulations, like China. [2]

Human Health Effects

  • Plastic bags can contain toxic metals (cadmium and lead) which can leach out and contaminate food [3]
    • Cadmium can cause vomiting and heart enlargement in low doses[3]
    • Lead may cause degeneration of brain tissues with long term exposure [3]
    • Polythelyne is used in the production of plastic bags and may be a carcinogen [4]
  • Plastic bags improperly disposed of clog drains, which can be the cause of floodin, which leads to water borne diseases[3]
  • When disposed of in the soil, plastic bags can prevent the recharging of ground water aquifers[3]


Environmental Effects

  • Plastics are readily combustible and when burned generate black smoke, decomposition, and volatilization products , that get incorporate into the environmental[5]
  • The plastic in the bags is environmentally stable, but the additives, their reaction and degradation products in the polymeric material can be released into the environment and into the fluids they contact, products, or food. The additives for plastics, that are released by leaching out and contact transference, have potential ecotoxic effects, mobility under conditions of use, have the possibility to accumulate in the environment or bioaccumulate in organisms,and can generate or release hazardous substances during disposal or under normal conditions.[5]
  • Plastic bags photo-degrade in land fills and the toxic particles in the plastic can enter the food chain if animals consume it[6]
  • Many animals mistake plastic bags for food, which can kill them. If these animals do die, their body will decompose and the plastic will stay intact, which can potentially kill another animal[7]
  • Every year over one million birds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles are killed from eating or getting tangled up in plastic. There are 46,000 pieces of plastic for every square mile of ocean[8]


Reusable Bags

  • Plastic totes may be more eco-friendy to produce than cotton or canvas totes that need large amounts of water and energy to create[9]
  • People may not desire reusable bags because of the expense, versus a free "disposable" plastic bag[9]
  • Some stores have started to use SmarTote reusable plastic tote bags that have a barcode tracking system that records how many uses the bag gets and enters users in contests for prizes[9]

References

Template:Reflist



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