Are Plastic Bags Harming the Environment

John G. (United States of America)
Word list is for the article Are Plastic Bags Harmful from the English Articles site.
23 words 28 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. plastic bag
    a bag made of thin plastic material
    According to environmentalists, plastic bags and paper bags both have drawbacks.
  2. grocery bag
    a sack for holding customer's groceries
    “Plastic grocery bags are some of the most reused items around the house,” explained Laurie Kusek of the American Plastics Council.
  3. tote bag
    a capacious bag or basket
    Perhaps the simplest solution for now, however, is to pack groceries in reusable bags, such as cloth tote bags.
  4. biodegradable
    capable of being decomposed
    Another possible solution would be to use biodegradable plastic bags, a technology that has recently improved.
  5. sea turtle
    any of various large turtles with limbs modified into flippers; widely distributed in warm seas
    Endangered sea turtles eat the bags and often choke on them—probably because the bags look like jellyfish, the main food of many sea turtles.
  6. paper bag
    a bag made of paper or plastic for holding customer's purchases
    According to environmentalists, plastic bags and paper bags both have drawbacks.
  7. landfill
    an area where waste is disposed of by burying it underground
    Plastic bags can be found in landfills, stuck on trees, and floating in the ocean.
  8. reusable
    capable of being used again
    Perhaps the simplest solution for now, however, is to pack groceries in reusable bags, such as cloth tote bags.
  9. environmentalist
    someone who works to protect nature from destruction
    According to environmentalists, plastic bags and paper bags both have drawbacks.
  10. break down
    stop operating or functioning
    Plastic bags can take hundreds of years to break down.
  11. strangle
    kill by squeezing the throat of so as to cut off the air
    Plastic bags in the ocean can choke and strangle wildlife.
  12. tote
    carry with difficulty
    Perhaps the simplest solution for now, however, is to pack groceries in reusable bags, such as cloth tote bags.
  13. choke
    struggle for breath; have insufficient oxygen intake
    Plastic bags in the ocean can choke and strangle wildlife.
  14. peel
    the rind of a fruit or vegetable
    “Biodegradable” means that the bags naturally break down, like, for example, a banana peel does when you leave it outside.
  15. stagger
    walk with great difficulty
    “The numbers are absolutely staggering,” said Vincent Cobb, a businessperson from Chicago who launched reusablebags.com.
  16. drawback
    a feature that makes something less convenient or acceptable
    According to environmentalists, plastic bags and paper bags both have drawbacks.
  17. endanger
    pose a threat to
    Endangered sea turtles eat the bags and often choke on them—probably because the bags look like jellyfish, the main food of many sea turtles.
  18. expert
    a person with special knowledge who performs skillfully
    Some experts say that they harm the environment.
  19. trash
    worthless material that is to be disposed of
    Plastic bags hold school lunches, line trash cans, and serve as gym bags.
  20. waste
    use inefficiently or inappropriately
    These uses decrease plastic bag waste.
  21. decrease
    a change downward
    These uses decrease plastic bag waste.
  22. endangered
    in imminent threat of extinction
    Endangered sea turtles eat the bags and often choke on them—probably because the bags look like jellyfish, the main food of many sea turtles.
  23. spotted
    having spots or patches
    In fact, floating plastic bags have been spotted as far north as the Arctic Ocean to as far south as the southern end of South America .
Created on Wed Jul 06 10:05:18 EDT 2011 (updated Wed Jul 06 16:05:58 EDT 2011)

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