World No Plastic Bag Day, celebrated every year on July 3rd, aims to draw attention to the negative environmental impact of single-use plastic bags and to promote sustainable consumption habits.
Dr. H. İnci Ateş, Head of the Environmental Health and Environmental Risk Management Technician Program at Atlas University Vocational School, stated in her assessment on the occasion of World No Plastic Bag Day on July 3rd that although plastic bags have a very short lifespan, they can remain in nature for hundreds of years, drawing attention to the fact that their environmental effects continue for many years.
Plastic pollution should be prevented at the source.
Dr. Ateş, Assistant Professor, stated that when single-use plastic bags are not managed properly, they accumulate in terrestrial and marine ecosystems, adding, “Plastic bags negatively affect biodiversity and pose physical and chemical risks to wildlife. Over time, they transform into microplastics and participate in environmental cycles. The most effective approach to combating plastic pollution is to prevent waste from being generated at its source, rather than disposing of the waste that is created.”
Dr. Ateş, Assistant Professor, stated that choosing fabric bags, mesh bags, and durable shopping bags reduces the consumption of natural resources, and that this approach also supports circular economy practices.
Microplastics reach the human body from the environment.
Dr. Ateş, Assistant Professor, stated that microplastic pollution has become a significant environmental and public health problem on a global scale in recent years, and that plastic bags are one of the important secondary sources of this pollution.
Dr. Ateş stated that plastic bags discarded into the environment transform into microplastics as a result of sunlight, temperature changes, and physical abrasion, and noted that today, microplastics are detected in many environmental settings, from oceans and drinking water to agricultural soils and the atmosphere.
Ateş stated that microplastics can enter the food chain through seafood and various foods, and that recent scientific studies have also found microplastics in tissues such as human blood, lungs, and placenta.
“Scientific studies indicate that microplastics may have potential biological effects such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and the transport of certain toxic chemicals. However, scientific research is ongoing to more clearly determine the long-term health effects.”
The paid plastic bag system has yielded significant gains.
Evaluating the paid plastic bag policy that came into effect in Türkiye in 2019, Dr. Ateş stated that the policy played a significant role in changing consumer behavior.
Ateş stated that according to the 2025 Administrative Activity Report of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the generation of 2,844,596 tons of plastic waste from plastic bags was prevented between 2019 and 2025, and that this contributed approximately 28 billion Turkish lira to the national economy thanks to the decrease in plastic raw material imports, and also prevented the release of 167,984 tons of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
Dr. Ateş noted that, in this respect, the paid plastic bag policy will be considered one of the successful policy examples within the scope of Türkiye's Zero Waste approach and sustainable development goals.
Dr. Ateş stated that these data show that environmental policies supported by economic tools can create behavioral change, adding, “However, pricing policies alone are not sufficient in the fight against plastic pollution. Environmental education, effective waste management, strengthening recycling infrastructure, and promoting reusable products must be carried out together.”
Individual preferences make a big difference.
Dr. Ateş stated that reducing plastic bag usage is possible with simple habits that can be implemented in daily life, and that promoting the use of cloth bags and mesh bags, going shopping prepared, reusing existing bags, and avoiding unnecessary packaging consumption would significantly reduce the amount of plastic waste.
Dr. H. İnci Ateş, Assistant Professor, emphasized that World Plastic Bag-Free Day reminds us that individual behavioral changes can yield significant environmental gains on a societal scale, and concluded her remarks as follows:
“Plastic pollution is a global environmental problem, but its solution can begin with small decisions we make in our daily lives. Choosing a reusable bag for every shopping trip is not just about giving up a plastic bag; it's about contributing to the conservation of natural resources, reducing microplastic formation, combating climate change, and leaving a more livable environment for future generations. The spread of a sustainable living culture is possible through environmentally conscious individual choices.”
