The danger of plastic bags

Foto: Agencias

Por: Helena Prentis.

At the 2016 Sustainability Forum at the BUAP, the former environmental and natural resources secretary for Puebla Francisco Castillo Montemayor gave a talk on the danger on plastic bags and how we can try to counter-act the damage which they are causing the environment.

He argued that the enormous quantity of plastic bags throughout the world should be considered as a challenge for not just businesses, but anyone, to find a solution of how to dispose of them responsibly, and an opportunity for all to embrace a sense of modernisation and responsibility.

Montemayor continued that the most important step is to make the general public reflect on the damage which they are causing to their surroundings, stating the fact that many Mexicans burn their plastic waste- a process which is more harmful to the environment than burning fossil fuels.

Drawing upon various examples set in the United States and in Europe, he emphasised the importance shops offering the choice between a reusable bag or a plastic one; and increasing the usage of biodegradable bags made of the residue or potatoes or corn. Whilst he agreed that Mexico does generally follow most strong trends coming from these areas, he stressed that these practices cannot come soon enough.

Francisco Castillo Montemayor spoke at the 2016 Sustainability Forum, organised by the BUAP’s foundation, in collaboration with the Mexican Society of Environmental Engineering and the Institute of Renewable Energies.