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?