Bag It

Has a lot of information that is at once provocative to even the dullest mind.

There can be no doubting the importance of this kind of media coverage.

Plastic bags = self destruction.

The data and imagery, the accuracy, it is all blindingly serious.

There is a slight absurdity about it all and this is well suited to the topic which is easily argued as the purest form of absurdity.

There is none more insane then our destruction of what we have and are, self sabotage while ignorance is bliss.

Its good that it has a global slant despite forcing the U.S condition.

I recommend this movie for all people. Hippies and non hippies alike. It should be essential educational material.

Bag It is a documentary clearly in the style of Michael Moore's filmmaking. With humor and charm, Jeb Berrier investigates the path taken by plastic bags as they journey from the market where a clerk puts our groceries in them to the air, ocean, creeks and shipping containers where they become a source of suffering and ugliness.

Cut to cheerful Mr. Berrier walking through a supermarket, holding up other examples of plastic packaging. He manages in a moment to make these items appear ridiculous as he looks into the camera and asks why we need all this plastic. Does it really serve a purpose? If so, then why do we throw it away? Not just a little bit of it, but collectively millions of tons each year.

I confess that I have been one of the millions of people who, though I know better, have continued to shop without bothering to bring a bag. I justified my sloth by telling myself that the bags get recycled, so what does it matter? After seeing Bag It I can no longer think this way. Bag It is an important movie that I believe will have important consequences, both for those who see it and for the environment.

But most important of all, Berrier, like Michael Moore, pulls off the coup of making his point while making us enjoy watching him. See it to be entertained, informed and enlightened.

Good overview of the problems of plastic- from product use, transportation, composition and recycling. Covers issues around the world as well. Documentary is thoughtful, and entertaining.

The author was not really interested in the topic until his town had a contest- he then starts thinking about all the ways plastic affects our lives, and its affect on the planet, sea life, the oceans and eventually right back to us. It shows the truth about recycling- which is not what people picture. There is the problems of people being unclear about what we can recycle, and also how towns who have tried to fight the chemical companies are largely out-funded.

A very good overview overall, presented with some bits of humor- though a couple jokes may be over the top.

Bag it is a documentary with a simple and important message; our disposable society needs to change if we are to survive as a species. We are now using 1milion plastic bags per minute. Quite a few countries have banned their use including New Dehli, India, where they were clogging the drains and causing floods. Jeb Berrier travels from city to city and nation to nation illustrating the different ways they are dealing with the problem.

Berrier is sort of a less sarcastic and non confrontational version of Michael Moore. His wife is pregnant with their first child, so he is concerned about his baby's future. The numbers are staggering; 2 million plastic bottles every 5 minutes, requiring 17 million barrels of oil to produce and 12 billion dollars spent every year on bottled water.

Recycling turns out not to be the simple solution either, as every locale has vastly different guidelines with many categories. 260 million tons of plastic ends up in the oceans from around the world annually, resulting in fish and birds, and in one particularity sad example, albatross's ingesting it as food and dying.

The last issue raised is the production of baby bottles and other products requiring BPA to produce. This chemical has been shown to increase the risk of cancer, diabetes, and to drastically alter the hormones levels in newborns.

Berrier has a light touch with an important topic and at 78 minutes, it is well edited with important information without being too preachy and he is a very likable host. Spread the word about this vital documentary and maybe we can make a difference.

The combination of a light touch and humor, real emotion (halfway into filming the on-screen narrator finds he is going to have a baby, so suddenly the issue involved gets much more personal), intelligent presentation of facts without screaming in your ear or overstatement, and the (sadly comic) attempts to be balanced and get the chemical industry to go on the record add up to a much more enjoyable and effective environmental documentary than most.

This is the kind of film that makes you want to change your own habits, and believe you can make a difference, while never feeling like you're sitting through a 'this is good for you' lecture. It reminded me of Michael Moore's documentaries, in its playful tone about a serious issue, but this has a lighter, less sarcastic, more lovable hand.

This would also be a terrific educational tool for 'tweens and teens (there's probably a bit too much slightly, good natured ribald humor for little kids, and some of the sad images of wildlife killed or injured by plastics might be a bit upsetting.

Kudos to all involved for this timely and important work that will certainly effect my relationship to plastics in my world.