As most of us know nylon bags are made from polyethylene, a derivative of petroleum. It takes about a thousand years for a nylon bag, which we will use for an average of 15 minutes, to completely disappear from nature. Only 1% of nylon bags are recycled, while 99% remain in the environment.
When nylon bags begin to degrade in nature, they emit harmful chemical substances that slowly pollute and contaminate the soil and water, disrupting the food chain.
They pollute the seas, lakes, and rivers. They clog sewers. Nylon bags destroy the vitamins in the foods they come into contact with. Additionally, nylon and plastic waste make up 90% of garbage. However, by using reusable cloth bags, we can eliminate six nylon bags per week. If only one out of every five people in our country uses cloth bags, we would eliminate tons of nylon bags over an average lifespan. By using eco-friendly reusable bags such as cloth bags, canvas bags, fabric bags, and laminated bags, we can protect nature and our environment.
In an article by YILMAZ ÖZDİL (prominent journalist), it is emphasized how long plastic products invented in the last 50-60 years stay in nature and how much harm they cause to the environment. Especially, the fact that nylon bags do not decompose for a thousand years, plastic bottles for 600 years, and styrofoam containers for 5 thousand years is highlighted. It is explained how plastic waste pollutes environments all around the world and threatens wildlife. Even Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world, banning plastic bags is associated with the frequent flooding disasters caused by bags clogging sewer systems. However, it is noted that millions of bags are used every day worldwide and the recycling rate is very low. Additionally (and primarily), Turkey’s policies regarding plastic waste import are criticized.
An excerpt from article by OZDIL is inserted below:
“…While all this is happening…Two months ago, the plastic waste import, supposedly halted by our palace government (Turkish Government), has been reinstated.
Turkey cannot even handle its own plastic waste, yet they claim to recycle and end up piling the rest of the world’s plastic waste in our country.
They have turned Turkey into Europe’s dumping ground.
“They envy us,” they say, while Germany dumps its plastic waste on Turkey and even gets paid for it.
The UK, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium all send their plastic waste to Turkey by trucks and ships.
The European Union exports 32 million tons of plastic waste annually, distributing 9 million tons to African countries, 9 million tons to countries like India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and dumping 14 million tons solely on us.”
and the article continues ….
Well, certainly the picture does NOT look very bright and a lot needs to be done…
By whom? Well, that’s the question..
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