Facts & Statistics

• Plastic is made from petroleum.
• About 89 billion plastic bags and sacks are produced worldwide every year.
• With the amount of plastic that is produced annually, it would be possible to wrap the earth 6 times.
• 90% of plastic end up in our forests, fields, rivers, lakes and seas. When plastic starts to decompose so-called toxic substances are released into the environment, harming wildlife and contaminating our drinking water.
• Each year thousands of marine animals die due to plastic.
• Plastic bags are not biodegradable. Plastic takes from 20 – 1000 years to decompose.
• Plastic production involves the use of harmful chemicals (Dethylhexylphthalat - DEHP) and is used as a plasticizer for PVC.
• One of the most important ingredients in the manufacturing of plastic bags is vinyl chloride. Vinyl chloride is a carcinogen and can cause liver, kidney and brain damage.
• To recycle plastic bags, new plastic and chemicals are needed, however only 1% of plastic bags will eventually be effectively recycled.