Problems Production Externalities
| Production Externalities |
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Many externalities occur in the production of plastic bags. These externlities may be small per bag but when added up the numbers are staggering. California alone generated enough disposable plastic to cover Lake Tahoe's 191 square miles with a sheet of plastic more than one inch thick (BEC). With so much plastic it is no surprise that plastic waste is growing seven times faster than the rest of the waste stream. Last year alone California threw away over 3 million tons of plastic waste (BEC). Here is the lifecycle of a plastic bag:  At almost every stage of development there is some form of externality created that people don't pay for when they consume the bags. Plastic Bags are made from High Density PolyEthylene. Polyethylene is made from propane and butane which is otherwise known as liquid petroleum gas. See the process involved in makeing plastic bags:  All of the chemicals used in the process of creating plastic bags are toxic and cause damage to the environment as well as people. According to the US EPA, 35 of the 47 chemical plants ranked highest in carcinogenic emissions produce plastics (BEC). DEHP is a chemical used to stabilize the plastic in plastic bags. DEHP has been shown to decrease sperm levels and even act as a neurotoxin. One of the key ingredients in manufacturing plastic bags is vinyl chloride. Vinyl chloride is a proven carcinogenic and may also cause liver, kidney, and brain damage. Once the extremely toxic chemicals are turned into bags, the bags still need to be transported to their destination. These plastic bags are often transported from overseas on ships and then put on trucks for distribution across the country. If people bring their own bags then there would not be a necessity for any of the transportation costs. All the excess fossil fuels used to bring plastic bags around the country would be eliminated. The shipping resources could be put to better use and the fossil fuels can not be used at all.  Even though production externalities seem to warrant some restrictions on plastic bags, they pale in comparison to plastic bag consumption externalities. Click next to learn more about the consumption externalities associated with plastic bags. |
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