Reusable Bags And Shopping Etiquette
Have you noticed more and more people bringing their own bags to the store with them these days? Plastic bags are out of style! Today’s “hip” shoppers use reusable shopping bags.
Why? What if you’re not concerned about being “hip?”
The truth is that being hip or trendy isn’t the issue. The reality is that using plastic bags creates a financial burden, damages the environment, and harms wildlife.
In California alone, nearly 600 bags are used by consumers EVERY SECOND! What happens to these bags? They are mostly discarded. It costs California tax payers nearly 8.5 million dollars a year to deal with plastic bag litter. Another $25 million is spent on land filling the plastic bags.
Marine life is also horribly impacted by plastic bag use. Hundreds of marine species are adversely affected by plastic bags who’s debris makes its way into their ecosystem and is ingested. Sea turtles get the most press as they often ingest plastic bags that resemble jelly fish and die. However, sea turtles are not the only sea animal impacted negatively by plastic bags. In some parts of the ocean, particles from plastic bags outnumber plankton by a ration of 6 to 1.
Can’t they be recycled?
Recycling plastic bags is, unfortunately, not economically viable. The cost to recycle 1 ton of plastic bag is roughly $4,000. The result? A batch of recycled plastic that can be sold on the commodities market for $32. Given those numbers, it should be no surprise that less than 2% of plastic bags are recycled.
A growing number of bags are actually being shipped to countries with less stringent environmental regulations where they are incinerated.
Additionally, simply producing plastic bags consumes a precious, non-renewable resource (petroleum). The world literally uses hundreds of billions of plastic bags every year, every single one of which released toxic chemicals to our environment during production and requires non-renewable resources to produce.
That’s a lot of bags being produced. That’s a lot of bags to attempt to recycle. And that’s a lot of bags that end up all over the planet mucking up the environment!
The craziest part of this whole situation is that it’s easy to fix. Just quit using plastic bags! compact reusable shopping bags are available in all kinds of sizes, colors, and designs. Many stores offer a credit for bringing your own bags and reusable bags themselves are sturdier and capable of carrying more items, meaning less hassle for you.
So, despite the number of people that have begun using eco bags simply because they want to fit in, you should rest assured knowing that it’s a trend worth following. Look good shopping with them and feel good knowing that you’re helping our planet in doing so.
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mary
