Why not? They have warning labels on cigarette packages. In some countries, those labels are very graphic.
Since “banning the plastic bag” from grocery stores, the California government confusingly allowed thicker plastic bags to take their place, and to be sold for 0.25-0.35 cents a piece. If it seems counterintuitive, you’re not alone. If we agreed as a majority that plastic bags were harmful enough to warrant banning, how is selling a thicker plastic back a reasonable alternative? The argument is that the thicker plastic is “more recyclable.” It’s really not. In fact, where I live outside of San Francisco, these types of plastics are STILL not recyclable. Oh yeah, and now that these bags are for sale, the plastic bag business has become quite lucrative.
Yes, unfortunately, the companies designing these bags are profiting. So, negative advertising like this is probably not going to fly with them, even if I ask nicely.
If companies can lobby for thicker plastic bags, I say that we lobby for warning labels, images like this that show the true nature of the plastic bag. It’s not about shaming people, it’s about making positive changes for our environment. And showing these environmentally unsound corporations that we can’t be taken for a ride.
I am considering making this a petition, so please let me know how you feel in the comments below. If companies think they can sneak plastic bags back into the grocery store, should they be required to have warning labels or images like this displaying the environmental impact?
Thanks to @woketotheplanet for the image.
Zero Waste California 