Background Information Your textbook discusses the controversies associated with requiring consumers to pay for plastic and paper bags at their supermarkets and other stores. Advocates of the consumer pay system argue that bags are harmful to the environment and that under this system people would be encouraged to buy cloth bags or other reusable containers. Critics reply that many supermarkets already have drop bins for recycling old bags. They also argue that instead of making consumers pay for bags, individuals that provide their own bags should be given discounts from the store. References Use these references to help answer the questions that follow. You may want to also search the Internet for additional resources. Query, S. (2007). Paper or Plastic. E – The Environmental Magazine, 18(6), 22. http://search.ebscohost.com Link to article Bob Condor. (21 March). New plastic bags that dispose of themselves! Knight Ridder Tribune News Service,1. Link to article Questions Based on what you have read, do you believe that consumers should have to pay for plastic or paper bags at grocery and other stores? What arguments most influenced your decision? How would you explain your position to someone who disagrees with you?
module_03_environmental_controversy___waste_and_human_health_written.docx
mod_03_link_to_article_new_plastic_bags_that_dispose_of_themselves.docx
mod_03_link_to_article_paper_or_plastic.pdf
Unformatted Attachment Preview
Module 03 Environmental Controversy – Waste and
Human Health
This week’s environmental controversy is centered on waste and human health. It addresses the
question, should consumers have to pay for plastic or paper bags at grocery and other stores? Using the
references below, write a 1-2 paragraph response to the questions posed to you. Remember to cite your
sources using APA.
Background Information
Your textbook discusses the controversies associated with requiring consumers to pay for plastic
and paper bags at their supermarkets and other stores. Advocates of the consumer pay system
argue that bags are harmful to the environment and that under this system people would be
encouraged to buy cloth bags or other reusable containers. Critics reply that many supermarkets
already have drop bins for recycling old bags. They also argue that instead of making consumers
pay for bags, individuals that provide their own bags should be given discounts from the store.
References
Use these references to help answer the questions that follow. You may want to also search the
Internet for additional resources.
Query, S. (2007). Paper or Plastic. E – The Environmental Magazine, 18(6), 22.
http://search.ebscohost.com
Link to article
Bob Condor. (21 March). New plastic bags that dispose of themselves! Knight Ridder
Tribune News Service,1.
Link to article
Questions
Based on what you have read, do you believe that consumers should have to pay for plastic or
paper bags at grocery and other stores? What arguments most influenced your decision? How
would you explain your position to someone who disagrees with you?
Submit your completed assignment to the drop box below. Please check the Course Calendar for
specific due dates.
Save your assignment as a Microsoft Word document. (Mac users, please remember to append the
“.docx” extension to the filename.) The name of the file should be your first initial and last name,
followed by an underscore and the name of the assignment, and an underscore and the date. An
example is shown below:
Jstudent_exampleproblem_101504
Need Help? Click here for complete drop box instructions.
New plastic bags that dispose of themselves!
ANAHEIM — A future in plastics may be most closely associated with a line delivered to
Dustin Hoffman’s character in the 1967 movie “The Graduate,” but Dodonna Bicknell is
living her own 2003 version.
She has co-founded Planet Friendly Plastics, which debuted its product line of completely
biodegradable plastic bags at last weekend’s Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim.
“I felt I needed to do something positive for the environment,” said Bicknell, an executive
producer at the commercial-making firm Uncle TV and creator of television ads for such
past clients as Nike, Microsoft and the National Cotton Council.
“I always wondered what happens to landfills. We started the company about a year ago and
started making products three to four months ago,” Bicknell said.
Bicknell has contracted with a manufacturer to make kitchen bags, larger 40-gallon bags
and dog poop bags. Each product is made with durable plastic and a chemical additive that
activates once the bag is exposed to the methane gases that develop in a typical landfill. She
said there would be “zero” toxic residues as the bag breaks down.
“We plan to be competitive in pricing,” said Bicknell, noting other makers of cornstarchbased, non-plastic bags must charge more because it costs more to make the product.
For now, the seasoned producer is counting on word-of-mouth marketing and raised
consumer consciousness rather than doing any TV spots for her own product line. Another
strategy is making custom bags for grocery chains–and altering the answer to the question
“paper or plastic?”
“We’ve done some charity events in Hollywood, such as one for an animal shelter,” Bicknell
said. “People loved the dog pickup bags and the whole idea of biodegradable bags that are
still strong enough to hold the garbage.”
Bicknell is thinking big. The company plans to expand into such products as water bottles,
food trays, eating utensils and more. She envisions Planet Friendly Plastics logos on goods
in places from airplanes to schools.
“I’m especially excited about the concept of teaching kids about becoming more
environmentally conscious,” Bicknell said. “We’ve put more money into the company than
expected, but I think we can do amazing things.”
…
Purchase answer to see full
attachment
Recent Comments