The plastic bag is often perceived as an insignificant everyday object. It is lightweight, inexpensive, and typically used only for a short time. However, when this seemingly trivial action is multiplied by billions of users worldwide, the problem becomes global.
According to international organizations, approximately 1 to 2 million plastic bags are used worldwide every minute. This means that tens of thousands of new bags enter circulation every second, most of which soon after become waste.
The annual global consumption is estimated at between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags. Even by the more conservative estimate, this amounts to dozens of bags per year for every person on Earth.
A significant portion of plastic waste reaches rivers and oceans, accumulating in various marine regions. One of the most well-known examples is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an area with a high concentration of floating plastic fragments transported and trapped by ocean currents.
And if the annual quantity of used plastic bags were laid out in a row one after another, the resulting line would stretch for millions of kilometers, circling the Earth dozens of times.
One of the most common claims regarding plastic bags is that they “degrade in about 1,000 years.” This can create the false impression that, once this period has passed, the plastic completely disappears from nature. However, the process is significantly more complex.
Plastic bags are not biodegradable. The problem of microplastics, which these bags break down into, is particularly serious because they easily enter food chains, thereby also damaging human health.
That is why on July 3rd, International Plastic Bag Free Day, we draw attention to this seemingly harmless object, which in reality turns out to be a global threat to the environment.
Since 2018, the Public Center for Environment and Sustainable Development (PCESD) has been conducting annual campaigns on July 3rd against the use of single-use shopping bags. We began with initiatives such as the “Plastic Free” flash mob and continued with the “No, Thanks, I’ve Got My Own” information campaign at markets throughout Varna.
In 2023 and 2024, we strengthened the educational element of the campaign. We organized activities with children and students, including creative workshops for painting on cloth bags and educational sessions dedicated to reducing plastic waste.
This year, we are inviting the citizens of Varna to a “Green Friday” at our office at 14 Sava Radulov St., with plastic bottles for recycling or empty glass perfume bottles. Furthermore, anyone who supports our environmental campaigns by purchasing a product from our “shop with a cause” or books from our Green Friday library will receive a reusable bag as a gift.
