EDITORIAL - Plastic bags

The plastic bag is among the most useful devices man has ever made. Sadly, through no fault of its own, it is also one of the most reviled. And the culprit for this undeserved stigma? Why, no other than man himself. By improper use and disposal, the plastic bag has come back to haunt man.

By September this year, the use of plastic bags will be banned for one day -- Saturday -- in a week in Cebu City. This is because plastic bags have been identified as “the main cause” of clogging in waterways and drainage systems.

Who identified plastic bags as “the main cause” of clogging was not identified, however, so it is not clear if a serious and diligent study was ever made to make the sweeping identification. Other studies, though, have shown that there is a far wider cast of culprits than plastic bag “haters” have cared to identify.

From various expert (meaning not armchair) studies have emerged other culprits in urban flooding as lack of forest cover, wanton and unrestricted conversion of lands into housing communities, inadequate drainage systems, human encroachment of natural waterways, and yes, plastic bags among many other human discards.

The poor plastic bag, inanimate as it is and therefore unable to defend itself, deserves a word or two on its behalf. One, it does not get into canals by itself and there allegedly clogs up the system. Someone has to put it there. And guess who exactly does?

Two, water is one of the most powerful forces on earth. Under ideal circumstances, nothing can ever stand in its way. The Japan tsunami that everyone saw on TV is ample proof of water's devastating force. The poor plastic bag is too puny to hold up water at the apex of its strength.

If waterways get clogged during floods, the poor plastic bag is just a convenient scapegoat for the usual blame game that follows. The truth of the matter is, all the other culprits mentioned above are the ones really at fault.

So why then does the plastic bag get the rap? Because it cannot talk back. Try blaming the government officials for sitting on their fat asses instead of building adequate drainage systems, and you are bound to get into the argument of your life.

Or try blaming the big and rich corporations that have taken away much of the capability of the environment to take care of its own excesses, and they will unleash a massive legal and PR initiative to protect their interests. So, who is left standing to take the abuse? The plastic bag of course.