The Trouble With Plastic Bags
塑料袋的麻烦
A plastic bag is used for about twelve minutes, yet it can remain in the environment for several centuries. Every year, millions of tonnes of them end up in rivers, fields and oceans.
一个塑料袋只用上大约十二分钟，却能在环境里留存好几个世纪。每年有数百万吨塑料袋最终进入河流、田野和海洋。
Many countries have tried to solve the problem by charging a small fee for every bag. In some places, this simple measure cut plastic bag use by more than half within a single year.
许多国家试图用「每个袋子收一点钱」的办法来解决这个问题。在一些地方，这一简单措施在一年之内就把塑料袋用量砍掉了一半以上。
But a fee only works when shoppers have a convenient alternative that they can actually carry. If the only other choice is a thin bag that breaks after one trip, people simply buy more of them.
但收费只有在顾客手边有方便、且真的能随身携带的替代品时才管用。如果唯一的选择是那种用一次就破的薄袋子，人们只会买得更多。
The real answer is not a single rule, but a lasting change in daily habit. Bringing a cloth bag from home costs nothing and becomes effortless once it turns into a routine.
真正的答案不是某一条规定，而是日常习惯的持久改变。从家里带一个布袋子不花一分钱，一旦成为习惯就毫不费力。