The negative effects of plastic bags are multiple. Estimates show that a plastic bag needs between 20 and 1000 years to degrade (depending on its thickness), and if the removal is made by burning, during this process the plastic bags emit extremely toxic gases. By burning, plastic pollutes the air and produces rapid soil degradation.
Plastic bags are a massive presence in household waste in communities, but they also pose a danger to different animal species that suffer from swallowing or blocking between them.