Or have we? It's common for customers to bring theirown bags to stores such as Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and local co-ops but howoften do you see it at mainstream stores such as Pic N' Save, Walgreen's orMacy's? Not very often, right? We've adapted a "use-and-toss"mentality that is hard to reverse.
Hopefully these facts will provide inspiration tobag the habit:
It takes 12 million barrels of oil to produceplastic bags and 14 million trees for paper to supply the US for oneyear.
Paper bag production creates 70% more air pollutionthan plastic but plastic bags create four times the solid waste.
A plastic bag can last up to 1000 years.
Paper bags are more energy intensive to distributethan plastic because of their weight and bulk. (It would take about seventrucks to transport the same number of paper bags as can be transported by onetruck of plastic bags.)
Plastic bags are responsible for over 100,000 marinelife deaths, such as sea turtles, per year.
Plastic bags are pushed by grocery stores becausethey're cheaper.
Even though biodegradable plastic bags break down inmonths rather than years, they don't biodegrade in landfills (nothing does)because the waste is isolated from air and water.
If just 10,000 people switched to reusable bagsabout 9 million plastic bags would be eliminated from landfills every year.
Bangladeshbanned plastic bags after blocked drains contributed to a widespread monsoon; Ireland has placed a consumer tax on plasticbags reducing usage by 90%; San Francisco has banned all plastic bags.
Society's plastic bag consumption rate is nowestimated at well over 500 billion annually - that's 1 millionper minute.
Bag Tips:
Leave bags in your car at all times for thosespontaneous stops.
Keep your purse armed with compact fold-up bags.
Use double-handled hemp or canvas bags for heavy loads.
Use organic cotton mesh bags for fruits andvegetables.
Use eco-chic totes for trips to the mall.
If you are caught without a bag and are purchasingjust one product or small items, put them in your purse or pocket or just carrythem out.
Many stores now sell reusable bags with their logosdraped across them. They're the most affordable, if you don't mind being awalking advertisement for them.
There will be those occasions where you forgot yourown bag or you didn't bring enough. For bags that sneak into your house, reusethem for as long as you can. When it's time to discard of plastic bags, tiethem into knots before tossing to keep them from ballooning up into the air andlanding in a tree or a fish's belly. When discarding paper bags be sure torecycle them along with your other papers.
Just a little tip: cashiers and baggers aren't usedto this practice yet and are quick on the draw so you have to be on your toesto run interference. But once accomplished, it's a good feeling walking out ofa store knowing you did a little something to help the planet.
There are so many cool bags to cover that I decidedto save that for next week. Come back next week to find out where you can findeverything from recycled ad poster bags to bags with a mission.
