10 things I don’t miss about America
- Litter.
- Bumperstickers.
- Billboards.
- TV presenters.
- TV commercials.
- SUVs.
- Heavily air-conditioned buildings.
- Aggressive drivers.
- American sports.
- Strip malls.
- Plastic bags.
I know I went one over, but that gives me an excuse to include a recent article from The Guardian:
"The number of single-use plastic bags used by shoppers in England has plummeted by more than 85% after the introduction of a 5p charge last October, early figures suggest.
More than 7bn bags were handed out by seven main supermarkets in the year before the charge, but this figure plummeted to slightly more than 500m in the first six months after the charge was introduced, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.
The data is the government’s first official assessment of the impact of the charge, which was introduced to help reduce litter and protect wildlife - and the expected full-year drop of 6bn bags was hailed by ministers as a sign that it is working.
The charge has also triggered donations of more than £29m from retailers towards good causes including charities and community groups, according to Defra. England was the last part of the UK to adopt the 5p levy, after successful schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Around 8m tonnes of plastic makes its way into the world’s oceans each year, posing a serious threat to the marine environment. Experts estimate that plastic is eaten by 31 species of marine mammals and more than 100 species of sea birds."
Your turn, America.
Northern Ireland passed a 5p charge in 2013. The use of bags dropped 71% the next year and 42% the following year. When I shop, I am expected to bring my own bag. No one offers me a bag. I love that.
8-3