A video episode of FUTURESTATES about a plastic bag which has been uploaded in YouTube discusses mainly the use and other unviable purposes of the plastic bag, its lifespan and negative effect to the living environment. Jenny Jenkins and Ramin Bahrani, the episode writers of the video, have created a story that is truly up to date and gives social awareness to the viewing public regarding the “terrors” in plastic bags.
Interpretation:
In the introductory part of the video, Werner Herzog—the narrator, shows the different uses of the plastic bag. Plastic bags are created for shopping purposes. These are being used in the supermarkets as containers of fruits, vegetables and other goods. After one use, plastic bags are no longer practical to humans. These plastic bags are worthless, and humans just use them for unfeasible purposes such as ‘hand gloves’ use to pick up animal dung, and ‘wraps’ for contusions to avoid infections of the wounds as shown in the video. These purposes may be helpful to others who could not think of better alternatives rather than using plastic bags. But the overture of the story seems to present the unviable functions of plastic bags which should not be tolerated by humans.
Since plastic bags are made with light material, they are easily blown by the wind. In the middle part of the story, the plastic bag travels from one point to another where the wind blows, and barely rots. This demonstrates that plastic bags are not durable and they are made with thin plastic films that give them the lighter property and easily melt when heated.
As days swiftly passed by, the plastic bag which is the main character of the story, still remain a plastic bag wherever it goes. Until such time that the plastic bag came across the ocean and lived there for several periods of time. It has mixed up with the various kinds of water-living species making this plastic bag a “toy” for them, but unconsciously it could put their lives in danger. Plastic bags have horded in the shores of the ocean and this brings pollution and contamination of the sea-water.
In the conclusion of the story, the plastic bag’s plea, “I wish you had created me so that I could die,” serves as a call to the plastic bag manufacturers NOT to continue producing plastic bags because these are not made with safe and durable materials. And the worst is, these are hard to decompose and disappear, and they cause harm to humans and environment.
Evaluation:
The video serves as an eye-opener to manufacturers and consumers. It illustrates how toxic plastic bags are and not recommended to use by humans. The lifespan of these plastic bags last for a very, very long years so they contribute much in the mounting of trash both in lands and oceans. Furthermore, the video gives roundabout message of encouragement to people to use non woven shopping bags and other pp shopping bags as safe containers of foods and commodities. Through this, people will not just learn to appreciate and value these kinds of bags but they will also be instruments in making the world “green”.
