Have you ever wondered what difference one person could make? Does the prospect of protecting our natural resources sometimes seem like an overwhelming task?
In this morning’s local paper I found an article written by Kevin Sullivan over at The Washington Post. In it he describes one film producers concerted effort to ban plastic bags from her hometown of Modbury, England. What started out as a nature documentary quickly turned to a horror scene as Rebecca Hosking, a BBC wildlife film producer, worked on a sugar-white beach in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. All around here were the rotting corpses of dead albatrosses–victims of various brightly colored plastics the birds had mistaken for food.
When Rebecca returned to her native England to finish her documentary, what she found snorkeling in the cool British sea near her hometown made her disgusted. Plastic bags, thousands of them, covered the bay floor she was exploring. Although she’d never been a campaigner or activist before, she knew she had to do something. She also realized that she couldn’t fix the problems she found at the bottom of Midway, but she was convinced she could make a difference in her hometown.
She scoured the Internet and found a biodegradeable alternative to plastic bags–made from cornstarch. She then convinced a local butcher to try out the new bags she’d found. Finally, at a town meeting with local businesses, she asked business owners to make the switch. When everyone saw that the butcher had had great success with the substitute bags, all the businesses came on board and made the switch. Last May 1, Modbury became Europe’s first plastic-bag-free town. Now, there are 120 British cities and towns exploring a ban on plastic bags and nin have already banned them.
The next time you wonder what difference one person can make, think of Rebecca Hosking. She saw a problem, she researched alternatives, she devised a plan, and took action. Her actions made a difference for one town in England and is spreading to other towns. What action can you take today?
Wonder what others in the blogosphere have to say about plastic bags? Here’s a recent sample:
WEB EXTRA: Liberal bill to ban plastic shopping bags dies - A Liberal bill to ban shopping bags is effectively dead, leaving the fate of the plastic nuisances bundled up in a confusing overhaul of the province’s household recycling program. Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard’s bill to outlaw the bags by …
China Puts a Lid on Plastic Bags - It’s about time: In China three billion plastic bags are used every day, and our planet’s oceans now contain over six times as much plastic as plankton. Reuters reports that this ban will be a boon for manufacturers of reusable cloth …
Ban Plastic Bags in Kingston, ON! - The movement to ban plastic shopping bags may not seem that revolutionary, but it is and Kingston can be one of the first cities to do this. San Francisco was the first city to ban plastic bags and other countries have since implemented …
Plastic bag nightmare continues - Despite repeated rhetoric by the authorities (March 31, 2007: No leniency in plastic bag ban says Sindh Minister for Environment and Alternative Energy, Dr Saghir Ahmed, April 30, 2007: Drive against plastic bags intensified, …
Kudos to this young lady - Now today the Washington Post is carrying this article about a young British woman who has succeeded in getting her small village to ban plastic bags, inspired by the devastation to wildlife in the Pacific: …
Plastics, or Benjamin Braddock’s Revenge - Ireland’s “plastax,” launched in 2002, has resulted in a 90 percent voluntary reduction in plastic bag use. Finally, corn-based, biodegradable plastics are beginning to surface, and though these polymers are not yet as durable as …
National Trust introduce 5p bag fee - This makes them the latest in a series of companies and organisations - including Marks and Spencer, and Help the Aged - to ban free plastic bags. The banning trend started because of a Daily Mail campaign against the plastic bag …
Pending plastic bag ban in San Jose + “green” construction video - Last year, SF finalized a ban on plastic bags in grocery stores and pharmacies…will San Jose take the same route? How effective will this really be? And finally, if and when will San Jose place a ban on both plastic AND paper bags? …
Help the Aged launches reusable jute shopper following plastic bag … - On 2nd June 2008, during National Recycling Week, Help the Aged will become the first charity shop retailer to ban plastic bags in its high street stores. To ensure that customers are not left inconvenienced by this move, …
Ground zero for bag bans - The small village of Modbury, England, was the flash point for the latest trend of communities trying to ban plastic bags, and Rebecca Hosking was the spark. The Washington Post’s May 6 issue has an interview and feature about her role …
IKEA Saves 100 Million Plastic Bags Since 2006 - In support of the Daily Mail’s campaign to ban the use of all single-use disposable plastic bags, IKEA UK have announced that a total of 100 million plastic bags have been saved since first launching a 10p charge in June 2006 and then a …
Paper or Plastic - Consider this - many cities are banning or planning to ban plastic bags. Seattle is currently one of those cities considering a 20 cent green fee on all plastic bags. While Plastic is more convenient and yes, can be shipped easier than …
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