Plastic bags: A reduction aimed at the future
In Portugal, starting the 15th of February 2015, a mandatory minimum payment of 10 cents was implemented on each lightweight plastic carrier bag. To understand the importance of this new law and its impact on climate change, we spoke with three experts from the Portuguese Environmental Agency (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente - APA).
"Plastic bags are made mainly of carbon (about 85%) and this is one of the constituents of the main greenhouse gases", begins by explaining to the newspaper "Olhar (es)", Teresa Costa Pereira, of the Department of Climate Change. In other words, plastic bags are one of the problems associated with climate change as the “carbon comes from fossil sources and, whether by incineration or degradation, is reissued into the atmosphere. 4% of the world's oil, that is, a non-renewable natural resource, is used in its production. The transport and treatment of light plastic bags in circulation is responsible for the consumption of many resources, such as water, which is a vital resource.
Catarina Ribeiro, from the Department of Waste Management, concludes that these bags are a big part of the marine and terrestrial debris because they are lighter, often disposed of incorrectly and distributed for free.
On land and at sea these bags are ingested by animals and often asphyxiate them, thus reducing biodiversity and entering our food chain. About 60% to 95% of the debris found at the bottom of ocean are plastic bags, and they are also the second most commonly found residue on the ocean’s surface.
Using APA (Portuguese Environmental Agency) statistics, we have ascertained that 1 million lightweight carrier bags are used per minute in the world, 100 000 million in Europe, 466 per person per year in Portugal, with only 25 minutes of usefulness and a lifespan of 300 years in the environment.
This excessive consumption is estimated to drop from 466 per person per year in Portugal to 50 bags and, in 2016, to 35. The environmental organisation also conducted a survey in Lisbon, to the main hypermarkets, and it was found that the El Corte Ingles is still the only one providing lightweight carrier bags. All other hypermarkets no longer offer these bags, providing only heavyweight plastic carrier bags, which were already subject to payment. These are disposed of correctly at the drop-off recycling locations and reused.
Ana Paula Rodrigues, advisor to the Administrative Council of the APA (Portuguese Environmental Agency), said that “part of the proceeds of the tax on lightweight plastic carrier bags will be used to benefit the environment, such as encouraging a scrappage programme”.
She adds that “on the 4th of November 2013 a directive of the European Commission requires the Member States to take measures to reduce the consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags. This measure is part of a legislative package, with political interests, aimed at changing consumerist behaviour.” And points out that “Portugal, after so many past attempts, managed to implement this measure as so many other Member States.”
The newspaper "Olhar(es)" interviewed some of the population of Lourinhã about this issue and concluded that most of those questioned still do not understand the importance of this measure, hence the importance of its promotion.
Catarina Ribeiro, from the Department of Waste Management, concludes that these bags are a big part of the marine and terrestrial debris because they are lighter, often disposed of incorrectly and distributed for free.
On land and at sea these bags are ingested by animals and often asphyxiate them, thus reducing biodiversity and entering our food chain. About 60% to 95% of the debris found at the bottom of ocean are plastic bags, and they are also the second most commonly found residue on the ocean’s surface.
Using APA (Portuguese Environmental Agency) statistics, we have ascertained that 1 million lightweight carrier bags are used per minute in the world, 100 000 million in Europe, 466 per person per year in Portugal, with only 25 minutes of usefulness and a lifespan of 300 years in the environment.
This excessive consumption is estimated to drop from 466 per person per year in Portugal to 50 bags and, in 2016, to 35. The environmental organisation also conducted a survey in Lisbon, to the main hypermarkets, and it was found that the El Corte Ingles is still the only one providing lightweight carrier bags. All other hypermarkets no longer offer these bags, providing only heavyweight plastic carrier bags, which were already subject to payment. These are disposed of correctly at the drop-off recycling locations and reused.
Ana Paula Rodrigues, advisor to the Administrative Council of the APA (Portuguese Environmental Agency), said that “part of the proceeds of the tax on lightweight plastic carrier bags will be used to benefit the environment, such as encouraging a scrappage programme”.
She adds that “on the 4th of November 2013 a directive of the European Commission requires the Member States to take measures to reduce the consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags. This measure is part of a legislative package, with political interests, aimed at changing consumerist behaviour.” And points out that “Portugal, after so many past attempts, managed to implement this measure as so many other Member States.”
The newspaper "Olhar(es)" interviewed some of the population of Lourinhã about this issue and concluded that most of those questioned still do not understand the importance of this measure, hence the importance of its promotion.
Work by: Adriana Nogueira, Joana Domingos Silva, Carolina Bonifácio, Carolina Inácio and Daniela Matias Pinto
10th Grade
Escola Secundária Dr. João Manuel da Costa Delgado (High School)
This work was carried out under the Flash Seminar held on the 30th of April and 7th of May at Escola Secundária Dr. João Manuel da Costa Delgado (High School). Students developed media content based on interviews with experts in various fields related to climate change and research on the subject.
10th Grade
Escola Secundária Dr. João Manuel da Costa Delgado (High School)
This work was carried out under the Flash Seminar held on the 30th of April and 7th of May at Escola Secundária Dr. João Manuel da Costa Delgado (High School). Students developed media content based on interviews with experts in various fields related to climate change and research on the subject.