Sometimes it really is the simple things that can make the biggest difference. It doesn’t seem all that long ago that plastic grocery bags came on the scene, and the question “paper or plastic?”, became part of our shopping experience. Retailers loved the lightweight bags, that were just a fraction of the cost of paper bags. Consumers liked them for their strength and convinience. No more wet bags breaking on you as you bring in the groceries! Now, plastic bags are everywhere. And I mean everywhere. They are an eyesore on our nations’ roads. They clog our drains and sewers, and they threaten wildlife all over the world. They are even found in the Pacific Ocean, 1000 miles from the shore.
Some Facts About Plastic Bags
- Almost a trillion plastic bags are produced world wide each year! The US goes through a billion of them. (Wall Street Journal)
- If Americans gave up their disposable plastic grocery bags we could save 12 million barrels of oil every year!
- Disposing of plastic bags is a problem. Plastic bags can take 1000 years to disintegrate. And because they are light weight and extremely aerodynamic, even properly disposed of plastic bags can float away and become a blight on the landscape.
- Some studies suggest that up to 100,000 marine animals are killed by ingesting, or becoming trapped in plastic bags.
The problem seems huge, yet the solution is quite simple. Say no to plastic shopping bags. And while you are at it, say no to paper bags as well. (That is another post!) Make it a habit to bring your own reusable bags. And reusable bags are not just for the grocery store. Try bringing your own bags or containers for your other shopping as well. At the very least, try to reuse your plastic shopping bags, and make sure to dispose of them properly.
Agree entirely with this post. I have been using the same reusable bags for the last year or so now and have probably prevented over 1,000 plastic bags from going into landfill as a result.
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I feel you here. I’ve been using reusable bags for a while now. I even gave some as gifts to my friends/family hoping to encourage their use.
Most stores I shop at give a $.05/.10 credit for each bag , my bags already paid for themselves and saved me a couple of pennies too!
Most grocery stores sell re-usable shopping bags for about $.99 a piece now. Some of them are pretty cool and the baggers love them because they are so much easier to pack. My local supermarket sells a cool beige one that has “I used to be a plastic bag.” on either side. They also refund $.02 for every bag you bring and use. On top of all of that they have a large bin where you can bring plastic bags to be recycled. The world is getting greener every day!
People in the UK are going mad for this ATM. I’m in the UK and most of our supermarkets are moving towards jute bags like those. None of them are giving them away free as yet, you still have to buy them. But i think in future re-usable shopping bags will be the only one available. I read the there is enough petrol in 15 plasticbags to drive a car for a mile. That is not to be taken lightly.
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