I've decided to focus on the plastic bag. I'm hoping to break down my analysis as follows:
- Design, material, new advancements - also look at their material composition across different countries
- Convenient carrying instrument - implications, new uses
- Health hazard - asphyxiation, production process is also dangerous for factory workers
- Environmental Hazard - non-biodegradeable, threat to wildlife
I think it might be best to focus on one type of plastic bag - so I've thought about concentrating on the Blue Wal-Mart plastic bags. I don't have a photo of them as yet, but that will come soon...
These are things I've come across in my research:
- Color of the plastic bag ( relation to advertising, branding, friendlier to recycling plants) - Walmart recently changed its plastic bag color from blue to white which seems to have become quite controversial
- Legal issues (this was one I was surprised about... apparently you can sue people over broken plastic bags) - http://pittsburghlive.com/walmart.html
- New uses - those concerned about the environment are looking to use plastic bags in the production of other products so that they don't end up cluttering landfills - http://www.homesteadweaver.com/plasticbagrugs.htm
