![\"Underwater](\"http:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/129115_225230.jpg\" "\\"Underwater")
<\/a><\/p>\n1. Karnataka, India<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn March this year, the Indian state of Karnataka completely banned the use of plastic across the state. No wholesale dealer, retailer, or trader can now use or sell plastic carrier bags, plastic plates, plastic cups, plastic spoons, cling film, or anything of the sort. Since the ban came into effect four months ago 39,000kg of illegal plastic<\/strong> has been seized<\/a> from Bengalaru, the state capital.<\/p>\nThey even made sure to ban microbeads<\/a><\/strong> while they were at it! Go Karnataka!<\/p>\n2. The US (okay, so there\u2019s a few places in the US)<\/strong><\/h3>\nBack in 2007, San Francisco became the first US city to\u00a0ban plastic shopping bags<\/a>\u00a0and in 2014, the city\u00a0banned plastic water bottles<\/a>\u00a0on city properties. Last month, San Francisco joined Los Angeles and Portland and enforced a ban on styrofoam.\u00a0Styrofoam is the material used for packaging peanuts, the contents of beans bags (do people still have bean bags?). It\u2019s expanded polystyrene, also known as thermocol.<\/p>\nPolystyrene is a problem plastic<\/strong>\u00a0because it’s very difficult to recycle. In the US, it’s largely used for packaging eggs, meats and fruit, and so a ban on this particular form of plastic will have a larger impact that you may first think.<\/p>\nIn July 2015, Honolulu, Hawaii introduced a ban on single use plastic bags (with small exceptions, e.g. for medical use). The bill was passed by County Councils, rather than by the state legislature, which was a real victory for the local grassroots organisations. People power!<\/strong><\/p>\n3. Coles Bay, Tasmania<\/strong><\/h3>\nLeading the way back in 2003, Coles Bay, Tasmania was the first town in Australia to ban disposable plastic bags. During the first year of the ban 350,000 fewer plastic bags were used in the area!<\/strong><\/p>\n4. Ethiopia<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn 2011, Ethiopia passed a ban preventing the manufacture and import of disposable (aka single use) plastic shopping bags. This ban was in conjunction with a decision to develop wind power and geothermal energy projects, as part of Ethiopia\u2019s Green Growth Strategy.<\/p>\n
5. France<\/strong><\/h3>\nLast month<\/a>, France brought in a ban on single-use plastic bags (\u2018less than 10L capacity\u2019 and with a thickness of less than 50 microns, you know…microns!), like the ones handed out by major supermarkets globally. This is part of a wider EU crackdown on plastic use<\/a>, acknowledging that plastic has a major impact on the environment and must be addressed.<\/p>\n6. Morocco<\/strong><\/h3>\nMorocco is (or was) the world’s second largest consumer of plastic bags<\/a> after the US. Their ban is pretty comprehensive, it includes a stop on the production, import, sale and distribution of plastic bags, prompting a major rush on plastic bag stockpiling<\/a> just before coming into effect. The resistance to the ban shows just how ingrained plastic and plastic bags are in our day-to-day habits and highlights the importance of a ban. Go Morocco!<\/p>\nThese are just a few of the main plastics bans in place across the world, which is great, so why is it important?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nPlastic in the oceans is a real problem, already,\u00a0huge gyres<\/a>\u00a0swirl with polluting plastic. And we’ve seen the dire consequences<\/a> of marine life mistaking plastics for food.<\/p>\n
They even made sure to ban microbeads<\/a><\/strong> while they were at it! Go Karnataka!<\/p>\n Back in 2007, San Francisco became the first US city to\u00a0ban plastic shopping bags<\/a>\u00a0and in 2014, the city\u00a0banned plastic water bottles<\/a>\u00a0on city properties. Last month, San Francisco joined Los Angeles and Portland and enforced a ban on styrofoam.\u00a0Styrofoam is the material used for packaging peanuts, the contents of beans bags (do people still have bean bags?). It\u2019s expanded polystyrene, also known as thermocol.<\/p>\n Polystyrene is a problem plastic<\/strong>\u00a0because it’s very difficult to recycle. In the US, it’s largely used for packaging eggs, meats and fruit, and so a ban on this particular form of plastic will have a larger impact that you may first think.<\/p>\n In July 2015, Honolulu, Hawaii introduced a ban on single use plastic bags (with small exceptions, e.g. for medical use). The bill was passed by County Councils, rather than by the state legislature, which was a real victory for the local grassroots organisations. People power!<\/strong><\/p>\n Leading the way back in 2003, Coles Bay, Tasmania was the first town in Australia to ban disposable plastic bags. During the first year of the ban 350,000 fewer plastic bags were used in the area!<\/strong><\/p>\n In 2011, Ethiopia passed a ban preventing the manufacture and import of disposable (aka single use) plastic shopping bags. This ban was in conjunction with a decision to develop wind power and geothermal energy projects, as part of Ethiopia\u2019s Green Growth Strategy.<\/p>\n Last month<\/a>, France brought in a ban on single-use plastic bags (\u2018less than 10L capacity\u2019 and with a thickness of less than 50 microns, you know…microns!), like the ones handed out by major supermarkets globally. This is part of a wider EU crackdown on plastic use<\/a>, acknowledging that plastic has a major impact on the environment and must be addressed.<\/p>\n Morocco is (or was) the world’s second largest consumer of plastic bags<\/a> after the US. Their ban is pretty comprehensive, it includes a stop on the production, import, sale and distribution of plastic bags, prompting a major rush on plastic bag stockpiling<\/a> just before coming into effect. The resistance to the ban shows just how ingrained plastic and plastic bags are in our day-to-day habits and highlights the importance of a ban. Go Morocco!<\/p>\n These are just a few of the main plastics bans in place across the world, which is great, so why is it important?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Plastic in the oceans is a real problem, already,\u00a0huge gyres<\/a>\u00a0swirl with polluting plastic. And we’ve seen the dire consequences<\/a> of marine life mistaking plastics for food.<\/p>\n2. The US (okay, so there\u2019s a few places in the US)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Coles Bay, Tasmania<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. Ethiopia<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. France<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6. Morocco<\/strong><\/h3>\n