1. Paul Fahy reported in an article entitled "Plastic bag propaganda" published in The UK Column that plastic bags are manufactured from a form of plastic derived from a by-product of the oil industry. If the by-product wasn't turned into plastic bags it would have to be burned off - increasing carbon dioxide emissions.

2.Plastic bags consume less energy in the making than paper bags and generate less solid waste and, of course, you need to chop down trees to make paper bags.

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3. Most plastic bags are biodegradable.

4. It is not the fault of plastic bags if they are thrown around - no more than if newspapers are thrown around.

5. Plastic bags are widely reused. Few things are recycled as efficiently or extensively as plastic bags.

6. It is claimed that plastic bags are responsible for killing millions of birds every year, as well as 100,000 marine animals. The original source of that was from 1987, which found that between 1981 and 1984 that around 100,000 animals had been killed by discarded plastic fishing nets. The report was subsequently misquoted, and the fishing nets became plastic bags. There is, and never was, any evidence that plastic bags kill millions of birds every year.

7. Some stores have replaced plastic bags with paper ones. Try carrying one packed with groceries in the rain.

8. Other stores are selling heavy- duty cloth bags that can be used more than once (just like plastic bags). These are usually made of cotton.There is a shortage of cotton, and making it requires a good deal of energy and water.

9. By charging for paper bags, stores are punishing the poor who cannot afford cotton bags.

The best way an individual can take to be environmentally friendly is to be a vegetarian - that way, you increase the food supply, save water, reduce methane emissions and are likely to feel healthier. You also save millions of animals a cruel life and death.

David Tonks