Mexico City Joins Ban on Garbage Bags

Mexico City has joined other world cities, including San Francisco, in banning plastic bags that aren’t biodegradable.

Elsewhere in the world China has adopted a strict limit on litter, eliminating the use of 40 billion bags. In Tanzania, selling plastic bags carries a maximum six-month jail sentence and a fine of 1.5 million shilling ($1,137).

Mumbai, India outlawed plastic bags in 2000, followed by cities in Australia, Italy, South Africa and Taiwan. Ireland reduced useage by 90% after charging a fee for each one.

CNN reports that leading environmentalists see a ban on the 5 trillion plastic bags used each year.

“Thin-film, single-use plastic bags, which choke marine life, should be banned or phased out rapidly everywhere,” Achim Steiner, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, said in June. “There is simply zero justification for manufacturing them anymore, anywhere.”

Follow up on research teams investigating garbage in the Pacific: Researchers a Welcome Crowd in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

The team with the greatest hype on Twitter, YouTube and PR generally isn’t going anywhere fast. I just checked in on The Pastiki Expedition and they’re still building the boat.

Meanwhile New Horizon Project Kaisei is on the seas. Reading further on their summary page, I notice that Project Kaisel has a mission to circle back on a second mission 12-18 months after completion of this one, as part of a fleet of vessels intending to clean up the garbage. Anne