For decades, the world has been warned about the horrors of single-use plastics. It might seem easy to grab a plastic bag and carry it around, but afterward, it just goes in the trash.

Yes, the same trash is sometimes buried underground and other times thrown in the ocean. The immense amount of plastic trash is killing millions of animals, birds, and fish. 

In a study, birds were found to consume so much plastic that it killed their appetite, and they starved themselves to death. Given this and other horrific side effects, consumers are more motivated to reduce and recycle their plastic bags.

However, with limited recycling methods, more than 80% of these used plastic bags end up in the garbage. These plastics are non-biodegradable and often enter the water sources, where they live forever, and over time the amount of them piles up. Not only does it hurt the environment, but it also adds to cleaning costs. Taxpayers in Texas pay nearly $25 million per year to clean up the mess made across the state.

It is taking longer than expected for the government and controlling agencies to introduce legislation to help prevent plastic usage. In the meantime, more than 650,000 single-use plastic bags are being checked out from retail shops daily. 

A bit of public effort and some strict laws could have an impact on single-use plastics in Texas. The government needs to do its job and regulate plastics, and citizens have to take responsibility for nature, animals, and future generations.