IELTS Essay Sample: plastic bags ban

In many countries, plastic shopping bags are the main sources of rubbish, causing pollution on land and water. Therefore, the use of plastic bags should be banned. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In these days, the proliferation of plastic bags, which are utilized in shops, has caused environmental issues both on lands and water. It is considered by some that the only way to solve the problem of pollution is by banning these bags. Personally, I somewhat agree that the usage of them should be avoided, as long as they are not replaced with paper bags, because it is also harmful for the natural world.

The obvious reason for the prohibition of plastic bags is that they are not easily disposable. In other words, due to their durability, plastic bags can take centuries to decompose. This contributes towards their accumulation in the environment; therefore, the pollution caused by plastic litter accelerates at an alarming rate. This makes it evident that urgent measures aimed at reducing the amount of plastic rubbish are essential.

However, it should not be overlooked that the said solution may stimulate the utilization of paper bags instead of their plastic counterparts, and this is not favourable. Indeed, paper shopping bags are not that durable and, therefore, rarely reusable, which creates a dramatically high demand for paper. This material, in turn, requires deforestation, and thus develops a lack of habitats for wildlife. In other words, solving one problem may cause another one. From this it becomes clear that governments ought to pay close attention to both these issues, while targeting for plastic pollution reduction.

In conclusion, I tend to favour the idea of plastic bags being banned in order to reduce the environmental footprint of our society. Nonetheless, the concomitant issue with paper-based alternatives should be taken into consideration.