The ever-present plastic shopping bag is constantly wreaking daily devastation on our planet. South Africans use approximately 8bn plastic bags annually, and 96% of these bags end up in landfill, where they can last up to 1,000 years. This is completely absurd when you consider that the average plastic bag is used for only 20 minutes. Being in landfill does not mean that the bags have been responsibly discarded. Their light weight ensures that they are easily carried away by the wind, and this contributes to the large number of bags that are lost to the environment. Here they remain and continue to have harmful effects on natural systems.
Banning the plastic bag could become a powerful educational tool, for raising awareness of our excessive plastic consumption, littering in general and the responsible disposal of our personal garbage.
Head down to 31 Harbour Road, Hout Bay this Saturday. Doors open at 9:30 and close at 16:00. Bring your old plastic bags and join in on building a plastic sculpture. In exchange, you'll get a reusable shopping bag in your favourite colour. Live music and presentations on the day.
