Plastic bags are a real threat to the environment as they don’t decompose and can remain in a landfill for millions of years. The toxicity that spreads as a result of their presence is life-threatening for both animals and humans. Recently in Los Angeles a ban has been declared against the use of plastic bags. It is the largest U.S. city to date to impose the restriction for using plastic bags. However, this is just a trial period as environmental study would be carried out to evaluate the success of this ban. After that, a final vote on the decision about banning would be cast.

The effort is one of the many measures that could be taken to reduce our carbon footprints on the environment. If any mark is to be left for the posterity to see, it has to be the growth given to the natural environment rather than the quick destruction of it. Bans like these in Los Angeles, for example, would save 2.7 billion plastic bags. However, it is not a total eradication of their use as plastic bags would still be used for trash bins and for departmental stores. If the efforts have to be redoubled then these should also be altered.

The U.S. was quick to criticize the environmental policies and issues of China during the Olympics, but has been the biggest contribution of carbon footprints on earth so far. London is also city not too clean when it comes to pure or healthy environment with a lot of air, water and noise pollution still being an issue for the city that was considered one of the filthiest cities in the world some 200 years ago.