‘Say no to plastic bags’ says BCM

BCM Solid Waste Team on their anti plastic campaign to reduce the use of plastic bags Picture: SUPPLIED

TO encourage consumers to reduce the use of plastic bags, the Buffalo City Metro (BCM) is distributing reusable plastic cloths to shoppers in shopping centers to educate them about the negative impacts of plastic bags to the environment.

“The key reason for the campaign is to educate and to encourage people to stop using plastic bags. Even when they are disposed properly plastic bags are so lightweight and aerodynamic they can easily escape from refuse bins, recycle bins, refuse trucks and landfills and end up littering the environment costing the municipality millions of rand in clean-up costs,” said BCM spokeswoman Bathandwa Diamond.

A total of R200 000 has been set aside for the week long programme that started on March 5 and will end on March 9.

“We are informing people on the dangers of plastic bags such as that they can increase the risk of flooding by clogging storm drains because they never break down completely. And they can be a danger to our beaches as plastic pieces can lead to avian and marine life choking due to consuming partially broken down pieces of plastic. Some sea creatures can be strangled by discarded shopping bags,” she said.

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