Posts Tagged ‘environment’

Plastic Bags Banned in Ajman

Saturday, April 17th, 2010
tote bag

The emirate of Ajman, which is the first emirate in the United Arab Emirates, is doing its bit for the environment by imposing a ban on plastic bags within its borders. This is one of the seven emirates, and the first to take such action so far.

Chairman of the Ajman Department of Municipality and Planning, Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, was the man to issue this order, which will be enforced in July 2010. This will start from the beginning of the month, and continue for as long as the law is in place, assuming the ban works well. The order to impose this law was issued in January 2010, on the 18th of the month, which gives the emirate and its citizens almost seven months to prepare for the order to come into place. This means that when the time comes around, it should not be such a shock to the system, as measures should be put in place before then which will see the usage of plastic bags be cut down to minimum possible levels anyway by then. It just means that from July 1st, it will be illegal to use these bags, but this does not condone their use before then, in the months leading up to this final enforcement.

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three bags

The punishment for using a plastic bag after this date will be a monetary fine. The maximum amount set in place currently is Dh50,000, or, 13,612 US dollars, but the value given to individuals may be anything up to this. It will be possible to use certain plastic bags, but these will be recycled ones which have to meet regulations. The regulations include stickers upon the bags, which specify exactly when bags should be recycled and where they came from. All shops within the vicinity of Ajman should take note of this as soon as possible, and contact suppliers who can help provide them with suitable bags to offer shoppers. There is a grace period of six months that has been granted for those with plastic bags in stock to be able to use them up and get rid of any they have left. This law will basically only have bad impact for shops and suppliers, as it is them who are responsible for serving the masses and dictating how people will take their shopping home. As long as they do not hand a shopper a plastic bag, that is not one of the recycled ones, then they are not breaking the law.

fancy tote

The majority of bags will be replaced by fabric counterparts, such as jute, as these are environmentally friendly and will not harm the environment, even if disposed, as plastic bags do. Plastic bags have been seen to be harmful to the environment for many years and often clog up oceans and can be ingested by local wildlife. The use of alternative measures for packaging goods will mean that these areas will vastly improve.

This law will come in in phases, which are to be discussed at the moment, and will mean Ajman is an environmentally forward province.


Author Bio: Be a part of the solution, not the problem – use tote bags to carry your shopping.

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Poland U-turn on Plastic Bag Tax

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
shopping bag

In December 2009 Poland announced that it would be looking to increase the tax on plastic bags in order to change the views of the consumer to start reusing bags. In January 2010, however, Poland has decided to back out of their promise of raising tax causing outrage within many green and pro-recycling activists. However, the real question to consider is, should we really depend on the government to force us to into changing our habits or should we decide for ourselves if we want to recycle and re-use plastic bags or not?

As you would expect the opinion on this matter is split, especially for those of us in the UK who believe that we are, in effect, in a nanny state.

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grocery shopping bag

On one side of the argument the greener people would say that the government should do its part, even if it is by forcing us to change our ways as it is their fault for creating this community. In a way we have to agree, as just like smoking, the government first said that it was okay, then they did a U-turn and then started to block the usage by age, amount even by taxing tobacco in order to forcibly stop those of us who are money conscious. If we were to do this with plastic bags then the next logical step to tale would be that of which Poland first promised in that we would increase the amount a plastic bag cost to an amount such as 10+p. By rising the prices to such an amount people will start to think twice about buying them and will be more inclined to take the small price jump to get reusable bags that are more durable (such as tote bags).

rainbow shopping bags

On the other side of the argument you can argue, as did the smokers at the time, that although it was first introduced by the government it is still their choice. The problem with their argument is that they were already addicted to the product and as such what they had to say was purely influenced by their need for the nicotine within the cigarettes. When we compare this to the use of plastic bags we are, in a way, addicted to the usage of plastic bags, we take them for granted, throw them away without thought and buy them again in the same way. We have done it for so long, so many times and watched so many other people do it that not only have we learnt the behaviour but we have also become addicted to it as a process of shopping.

When you ask a person what things they think of when they recall a shopping trip people will usually say the bag that their items come in last, if at all. What this shows is that we do not truly case about the packaging our good come in, but the thought of change is what makes us want to rebel. Adaptability to environment may have made us the dominant species, but our refusal to change ourselves socially will be the death of the environment.


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Make a difference to the number of plastic bags going to waste, use reusable bags over plastic bags. There are many styles and varieties and sizes of tote bags available at Bag It Don’t Bin It.


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Green Living Tips – What We Can Do to Make a Difference

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

Did you know that there are lots of small changes you could make in your life in order to reduce your impact on the environment? You could incorporate the principles of green living to your daily life with remarkable consequences.

Our planet Earth is getting to the point where green living is no longer an option exercised by a few individuals but a necessity. Our planet is getting poisoned at such a fast pace that our next generation might find themselves at a point of no return.

It is now common knowledge that our over dependence on fossil fuels as well as our use and throw culture has brought us to this point.

The popular misconception about green living is that we are expected to lead a deprived existence. Yes, it certainly helps if all of us reduced our consumption levels so that industrial pollution could be reduced. There are lots of things we could do to reduce our consumption on non-renewable natural resources without really reducing the quality of our life.

You might be more inclined to go green if you realized the huge benefits it could have on your health as well as your bank balance.

Car pooling and public transportation are great ways to show your support for the green movement. This has benefits for everybody concerned and your commute time could actually reduce if more people followed this practice and reduced the pressure on the road transport system. Many Europeans walk or cycle to work and the health benefits are obvious.

We have become so used to taking our cars for even short errands in the neighborhood that this is fuelling an epidemic of obesity. Added to this is our preference for a meat based diet which has a very high impact on the environment. There have been a lot of studies devoted to the amount of greenhouse gases caused by herds of cattle maintained for dairy and meat purposes.

You do not have to give away your car or become vegetarian. All that is required of you is that you reduce your consumption of these things. Increase your consumption of organic fresh fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains and you will quickly see a change in your overall health and fitness levels as well.

Were you also aware that how you do your laundry affects the environment? Always remember to do full loads of your washing machine so that you do not waste water. Don’t waste hot water on your dark clothes, instead saving it for your whites. Your clothes dryer takes up a lot of energy as well. See if you could dry your clothes on a line in the fresh air. The one thing to avoid using is chlorine based bleaches because of its link to cancer and the depleting ozone layer. Use a bleaching agent that is hydroxy powered. Likewise use vinegar instead of fabric softeners.

If you are really interested in knowing more about living in an environmentally conscious manner, you could get lots of information on the internet that can help you make a difference to the planet.

Author Bio: I am basically a graduate at the University of Hamburg and you can get awesome articles and valid information from the ones which I submit specially for you to take a look at. Check out Green Images, Green Graphics or Green Pictures.

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Recycling Tips – Using World War Two to Inspire You

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Most people consider recycling to be a recent phenomenon of the green revolution, however, there is evidence of recycling taking place from as long ago as 400BC. It was around the mid 1900s though that recycling was first given real attention. During the Second World War, resources were hard to come by and Governments ran massive recycling campaigns to ensure nothing was wasted.

Here are a few examples of what was recycled and for what reason…

- Metal and tine were recycled for use weapons, tanks and aircraft.

- Rubber was collected to make new tires.

- Boiled bones were recycled to make glue for aircraft, ground up to make fertilizer or turned into glycerin for explosives.

- Left over food provided feed for chickens, pigs and goats and people would bring their scraps to communal bins.

People were also encouraged to mend belongings, such as clothes, rather than buy new. Campaigns such as ‘Make Do And Mend’ and ‘Sew And Save’ advised people on how to recycle textiles and make clothes last longer. Knitting also became very popular around this time.

Families had to plan meals carefully to ensure that food did not go to waste. With no fridges or freezers, perishable food had to be bought in small quantities and substitutes had to be found for foods that were no longer available. Meat fat was commonly saved to make pastry, and even the cream from milk was stored in a jar and shaken to make butter and buttermilk.

Everyone did what they could and came together to achieve a common goal. At first the Government’s had to tell people what to do and regularly remind them of it, but it did not take long for people to become accustomed to it, and not only recycle themselves, but also remind their friends and neighbors to do it too.

It is sad that it took people such a long time to recognize the importance of recycling, and also that it took such unfortunate circumstances to draw it to our attention. These days, we realize the importance of recycling to preserve the Earth’s resources and to reduce pollution.

Even so, we are still failing to recycle a lot of items that are recyclable. Though we know what we should be doing, and though it is not difficult for us to do it, there is still a very relaxed attitude to recycling. Too many of us simply cannot be bothered to recycle, and that is undoing the good work being done by those who do take the little time and effort required to recycle.

The uses of recyclable materials may be different now from what they were during the War, but we can still look to our grandparents and the older generations for tips and inspiration. If they could do it, then why can’t we do it too? We should all be doing what we can now, and not be waiting around for a major crisis to kick-start us into mass recycling again.

Author Bio: Ware 4 Recycling Bins Ltd have been promoting cost effective recycling bins, trolleys and waste containers for over 5 years.

Category: Society
Keywords: recycling tips, recycling, recycle, green living, green, environment, environmental, society

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