About a hundred billion plastic bags are used every year in the U.S. alone. And then, when one considers the huge economies and populations of India, China, Europe, and other parts of the world, the numbers can be staggering. The problem is further exacerbated by the developed countries shipping off their plastic waste to developing countries like India. Once they are used, most bags go into landfills. Each year, more and more bags are ending up littering the environment. Once they become litter, plastic bags find their way into our waterways, parks, beaches, and streets. And, if they are burned, they infuse the air with toxic fumes. One of the worst environmental effects is they are non-biodegradable. The decomposition takes about 400 years. No one will live so long to witness the decomposition of plastic!

You might ask me, why am I repeating this old tale again. These are stuff almost every school going kids knows about and is currently a hotly debated topic in many countries. But I do like to elaborate about something a fellow Dundee Uni student is doing currently to help make an impact. It’s the “Drastic Plastic” initiative by our very own school mate Gene! Allow me to share a bit more about it:

Gene go on to explain “I am sure most of us had moments where we forgot to bring reusable bags from home and feel frustrated that we have to buy plastic bags from the stores. This is not only a cost to the environment, but it is also a cost to our wallets!” I can’t agree with her more!

This project aims to reduce plastic waste in Dundee, especially from one-time use plastic bags, by making reusable bags accessible to all staff members and students of the University of Dundee. You can show your support by donating clean reusable bags or simply by spreading the word of the existence of this stand!

You can look for a stand like this in the picture in the Dundee Library and why not considering dropping off any extra reusable bags you might have?

For more info: https://www.facebook.com/groups/413532512527453/

I would like to end off with a quote from Gene,” Students of the University of Dundee coming together to share ideas and celebrate milestones of each other’s projects that attempt to reduce plastic waste in Dundee. As the world becomes more environmentally conscious, let us not just stop there but make actual efforts to contribute to the environment positively!” I am sure you will agree too!