By Drew Bonifant

They’ve become an environmental danger, and they hold groceries when leaving a supermarket.

Plastic bags, as much as a staple at supermarkets as the items being purchased, have come under fire and crept into news and politics recently due to potential threats to the ecosystem, both scientifically and aesthetically.

Action has already occurred nationwide. San Francisco recently banned plastic bags in the city, and a campaign led by City Councilor Robert Consalvo could result in a similar regulation for Boston.

The danger of plastic bags has gained attention on campus. Mandy O’Brien, a senior finance and accounting major and co-director of Husky Energy Action Team (HEAT), said problems with bags have made the group focus on raising awareness within the student body.

“First off, a lot of bags end up in rivers and oceans and cause pollution, and also, in order to create the bags, a lot of energy is used,” she said. “A lot of energy is used to create them and then to transfer them to stores, and that cost is passed on to consumers. A lot of people assume that plastic bags are free, but they’re passed on through higher prices.”

Plastic is also a hazard due to its lack of degradability. Earth and environmental studies professor Jennifer Cole said, plastic bags are far less capable of dissolving in landfills than paper bags, due to a bond structure that makes itself resistant to attacks.

“There’s nothing that attacks it very readily. It’s bonded to itself, and is very persistent,” she said. “If it’s biodegradable plastic, the starch molecule dissolves, but the plastic is still as resistant to breaking down as ever. It doesn’t make the whole bag dissolve.”

In addition to environmental concerns, plastic bag pollution becomes an aesthetic issue as well.

“I know with San Francisco, one of the major reasons they had that legislation passed was because people were sick of looking at plastic bags that were left on the ground,” O’Brien said. “It was not just an environmental issue, people didn’t want the city to have that trashy look to it. The same thing applies here. Eliminating them would clean the city up a lot.”

Outside Northeastern and around Boston, the crusade against plastic bags has taken root in several supermarkets. Whole Foods, for example, promotes reusable bags and offers dollar discounts for shoppers who use that option.

“We’ve always had one type of reusable bag or another,” said Chuck Olivieri, a Whole Foods employee. “That would be the best option for people, instead of plastic or paper. It’s up to you to make the decision; if you’re going to reuse a bag, that’s the optimal decision, as far as the environment is concerned.”

Bob Peredna, manager of the Wollaston’s in the Marino Center, said that reusable bags may become a standard for most markets in Massachusetts.

“In California, they’ve passed the law that says they can’t use plastic anymore. So we brought it to the attention of the owner of our company, and we’re looking into the cost differential, and if there is going to be a law in the state of Massachusetts as well,” he said. “We’re preparing to adjust, absolutely. I think the best way for us to go is to sell a canvas-type bag that people can reuse.”

Though the plastic bag problem has become notable at national and local levels, it is simple to fix. Kate Janisch, a co-director for HEAT ,said the transition from plastic to reusable bags could be easy and profitable.

“I think it would be a lot better if we didn’t have plastic bags,” she said. “I think [reusable bags] just aren’t publicized well enough. If you bring your own bag, [most stores] will give you a discount. Most people don’t know that, though, and I think that needs to be advertised more.”