Guest post by summer student Crystal Hiebert, originally published Aug 17/16 The Reminder. Flin Flon, Mb. Sponsored by North of 53 Consumers Coop
In any debate, there are two sides, each with valid arguments to support its claim. So, why act like there is only one side when deciding whether to ban plastic bags?
The City of Flin Flon has asked that we weigh in on the decision to ban single-use plastic bags, following Thompson and The Pas who has mandated such by-laws in 2010 and 2016, respectively.
As a self-proclaimed eco-friendly organization, this should be an easy decision for the Recycling Centre, right? The issue is not black and white, but much more controversial than rooting for one side.
Why ban the plastic bag when they’re convenient, reusable, and take up less space and energy than the replacement, the paper bag. A ban requires sacrifice, a change in habit, and more expenses. But, are these arguments significant in comparison to the opposition?
There is a good reason why the ban is implemented in other locations across Canada. If we ignored this issue from now on, the environment would continue to decline. Plastic would keep crawling up the food chain from our oceans and wildlife, travel through wind and water systems from our static landfills, and remain indigestible for as long as the Earth turns.
The reality is people have other concerns to worry about.
When deciding yes or no, it comes down to the bigger picture. Will a ban make a big enough of a change in the long run? Or is this somewhere we can put our foot down and stop something we can control. We started it and we can stop it. Weigh the pros and cons of each side and see where your decision lies in banning plastic bags.
In any debate, there are two sides, each with valid arguments to support its claim. So, why act like there is only one side when deciding whether to ban plastic bags?
The City of Flin Flon has asked that we weigh in on the decision to ban single-use plastic bags, following Thompson and The Pas who has mandated such by-laws in 2010 and 2016, respectively.
As a self-proclaimed eco-friendly organization, this should be an easy decision for the Recycling Centre, right? The issue is not black and white, but much more controversial than rooting for one side.
Why ban the plastic bag when they’re convenient, reusable, and take up less space and energy than the replacement, the paper bag. A ban requires sacrifice, a change in habit, and more expenses. But, are these arguments significant in comparison to the opposition?
There is a good reason why the ban is implemented in other locations across Canada. If we ignored this issue from now on, the environment would continue to decline. Plastic would keep crawling up the food chain from our oceans and wildlife, travel through wind and water systems from our static landfills, and remain indigestible for as long as the Earth turns.
The reality is people have other concerns to worry about.
When deciding yes or no, it comes down to the bigger picture. Will a ban make a big enough of a change in the long run? Or is this somewhere we can put our foot down and stop something we can control. We started it and we can stop it. Weigh the pros and cons of each side and see where your decision lies in banning plastic bags.
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