SeaWorld continues its brand makeover to focus on conservation with the next logical step – eliminating plastic bags from its theme parks. This move will keep 4 million plastic bags out of landfills annually, a great change since paper bags decompose in weeks, where plastic bags can take decades. Park gift shops will offer paper bags made from 100 percent recycled paper or guests can choose to purchase reusable bags. The transition should be completed within the next year
“This is a significant change for our company, one we hope will provide a model for our industry overall,” said Jim Atchison, President and Chief Executive Officer of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. “Eliminating plastic bags is an important statement about our commitment to the environment, as well as the need to help protect marine animals from debris. It also allows our guests to play a direct part in making a difference on our planet.”
This move will keep an estimated 4 million plastic bags from entering landfills and the environment each year. Approximately 1.4 billion tons of trash, including plastic bags, enters the ocean annually. Wildlife such as endangered sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, one of their favorite foods.
The company began exploring the concept at SeaWorld San Diego in 2011, when the park discontinued the use of plastic gift bags to mark the opening of its new Turtle Reef attraction. SeaWorld Orlando is eliminating the bags this month in conjunction with the opening of its new attraction, TurtleTrek.
Do you applaud SeaWorld for making this move or will you miss the plastic bag option?
I think it’s great. My city of San Jose, CA has a city ordinance that doesn’t allow stores to give plastic bags and if you want a paper bag it’s 10cents a bag. I haven’t missed not having plasic bags around and remembering more and more to use those reusable Disney bags I’ve bought.
I have been using reusable bags for about 5years, when San Jose, CA enacted a city ordinance January 1, 2012, it wasn’t difficult for me. I use many types of reusable bags.
Excellent news. I would love to see Disney stop plastic as well. We started using reusables years ago and it’s so much easier than plastic (not to mention better environmentally).
I keep cloth bags to do my grocery shopping, and they’re so much nicer than either paper or plastic. They’re easier to carry, they hold more stuff, and I don’t have to bother with a huge pile of annoying bags when I get home. This is a great move on Sea World’s part.
Even better would be to encourage people to carry in their own bags. There are reusable bags that fold up quite small, so they’d be easy to stash in a purse or messenger bag, and then you could just take it out when you buy your souvenirs. Easy peasy.
Paper bags aren’t that great either:
-14 million trees are cut down to make the paper bags used in a year.
-Only 20% of paper bags get recycled.
-Paper cannot be recycled indefinitely. It can only be recycled 4-6 times.
-Paper is the number one material that we throw away.
They should charge for bags to encourage people to bring their own reusable bag!
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