The use of plastic bags in many homes and other places has become rampant due to their affordability and also they are easy to handle. The manufacture of such bags is easy and a large quantity can be produced within a short time and cheaply, hence the producers can sell them off at a low price. Plastic bags have been preferred mostly for packaging, carrying and storing of goods of different kinds ranging from foodstuffs to other commodities. As much as they uphold such credit for their use by many people, they have or rather caused a great environmental hazard, which is considering the way they are disposed off after use. Author, Elizabeth Arriero, in her article “City Switches to Plastic Bags on Pet-waste Cleanup,” addresses the issue of recycling plastic bags for clean up of dog waste but still the problem is they will be re-disposed a second time to the environment.
Generally, the author is trying to encourage the city residents to maintain cleanliness by using them in such a way but there are more accredible ways of dealing with these plastic bags’ menace to the environment. Her focus is only to pet owners then the question arises of what about those without pets, should they continue to litter the streets with their plastics after use? The best way to deal with this is by taking the bags to the factories for recycling to make various items for instance plastic chairs, making of toilets which are movable, manufacture of utensils, toys for children which will be of great benefit both to the people and the environment. Furthermore, there is creation of employment opportunities to many people both in the factories and to those given the role of collecting the bags and delivering them for recycling thus reducing the problem of unemployment to some extent. If the government or the private sector focuses on such a project revenue creation will be maximized and at the same time littering of the city reduced, thus optimizing on the use of scarce available resources effectively. Though her claim is rhetoric but at the same time it has some kairos or it is timely because it comes at a time when the government faces an economic and environmental crisis and by doing so it will save a lot of money that would have been used in the clean up exercise besides saving individuals money to buy the mutt mitts (Arriero 5).
Granted the fact that there are established specific points where the bags are to be put after use is a good idea as the bags won’t be thrown carelessly, for this reason one is able to collect them easily for use by his or her dog. Consequently, she urges the residents to be responsible for the cleanup of their dogs mess as this will see them enjoy a very habitable and clean atmosphere. In the areas or places where people do not have dogs, by coming up with the idea of having city workers collect the bags is a good idea as it is targeted to ensure that every place is clean.
Price variations between the mutt mitts and the used plastic bags is far much big, so by considering it the option remains to be the recycled bags as that excess money can be used to pay for the children’s school and also budgeting for the household. Since not all have dogs and those who have donate a given amount so as to get access to the bags, the best measure would be to move these parks close to the people that is if possible each person has to have his own. The reason here being by having them close it saves that time that would have been wasted in going to collect the bags for example when the park is a further distance for attending to other duties. In addition residents will be much persuaded to use the option because it is readily available within their reach especially for those individuals who are preoccupied with many chores to attend to.
Generally, the author has succeeded in persuading the dog owners on how to save on their cash as they keep the planet clean and avoid issues like global warming, but she fails to address the other class of non dog owners. At the same time she does not bring out the fact that after cleanup exercise how will they be disposed completely after being beyond use thus leaving the audience with the doubt of if this is the best way of recycling the used up plastic bags. The best way in my view would be by recycling them to more useful ways whereby they can last for along time while still being used and after becoming wasted beyond use again they are re-recycled.
Finally, I agree with the author on how she has argued the credibility of her persuasion to adopt the idea but leave many doubts of the effectiveness of the whole thing. In as much as she tackled the issue of keeping the planet clean, economical saving to use the money on other important things, the same bags will still get back to the environment especially when they cannot be used anymore because their recycling is not done in factory. However, Arriero should have given a concrete solution to her argument like, for example having the plastic bags industrially manufactured to other more useful products that are long lasting, such as utensils. Worth noting is that, these products are low priced so people will save a lot in terms of money while on the other hand by purchasing already constructed plastic toilets will avoid a situation of tree cutting to be used for construction thus environmental conservation.
Works cited
Arriero, Elisabeth. City switches to plastic bags to save on pet-waste cleanup. Arizona Republic, 2009.