And there’s more to think about. Most
plastic bags are only used for a few hours,
sometimes even minutes, but they stay in
the environment for much, much longer.
Plastic bags are waterproof, so they don’t
rot away – they’re not biodegradable.
They can’t be burned safely because that
causes poisonous gases and pollution.
Instead, plastic bags are photodegradable,
which means they slowly break down into
smaller pieces with the help of sunlight.
This process takes hundreds of years, and
the small pieces can still pollute soil and
water and get into the food chain, where
they poison birds, fish, and animals.