I'll admit it, I'm kind of obsessed.
I just get so irritated by the constant proliferation of plastic bags in our society. We use them for about 10 minutes, to transport groceries or some other merchandise, and then we toss them in a landfill for about a million years.
Some do get reused, and some do get recycled, but there's still a downside: They're produced with a non-renewable, and highly polluting, resource - petroleum - and recycling uses a lot of energy in itself.
We'd be much better off if we just lived without plastic bags.
It's easy to reduce our dependence on plastic bags - it just takes some awareness of their harmful impact, some information on the alternatives, and tips on how to start.
That's what this lens is for.
The High Cost of Plastic Bags
Why we need to reduce our use of plastic bags
The billions of plastic bags we use every year are harming the environment. Take a look at these facts, courtesy of EarthResource.org and ReusableBags.com, on the environmental impact of plastic bags.
- Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year.
- According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year.
- According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. (Estimated cost to retailers is $4 billion.)
- Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photodegrade-breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest.
- Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food.
- Plastic bags are among the 12 items of debris most often found in coastal cleanups, according to the nonprofit Center for Marine Conservation.
- Four out of five grocery bags in the US are now plastic.
- The average family accumulates 60 plastic bags in only four trips to the grocery store.
- Plastic bags are light and hard to contain. Because of their light weight, plastic bags fly easily in wind, float along readily in the currents of rivers and oceans, get tangled up in trees, fences, poles, and so forth, and block the drainage.
- Plastic bags are made from a non-renewable natural resource: petroleum. Consequently, the manufacturing of plastic bags contributes to the diminishing availability of our natural resources and the damage to the environment from the extraction of petroleum.
Tips on Reducing Plastic Bag Usage
It's so easy to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic bags!
Even though plastic bags are promoted as the easiest, most convenient products, there are actually a variety of alternatives to those harmful polluters. Check out this list of easy, convenient and eco-friendly plastic bag alternatives.
- Take a look at what you already have in your house. Beach bags, canvas bags, shopping bags, backpacks, etc. can all be used to carry items home from a shopping excursion.
- No extra bags in the house? Visit a thrift store, Salvation Army, or yard sale and pick up a handful of cheap bags.
- Need more options? Check out www.reusablebags.com for a selection of bags of different sizes, shapes and construction for your shopping needs.
- If you already have a collection of plastic bags from past shopping trips (or if you inadvertently bring more home now), make sure you reuse them. Take them out with you when you go shopping, or use them to store items.
- If you've reused your plastic bags, but no longer need them, make sure to recycle them. Most are recyclable - just check for the recycle symbol on the bags. Either throw them in your own recycle bin, or see if your grocery store collects them. (Many large chaings do.)
- When you're out and about, pick up litter - especially plastic bags. They turn into virtual balloons outside, floating around and eventually landing somewhere they don't belong (like our waterways).
Helpful Links
So many resources!
Here are links that offer friendly green tips so that you can live a plastic-bag free life!
- Reusable Bags
- This company has a great online store, a comprehensive facts section and an action center. Learn the truth about plastic bags, buy a few reusable bags, and download a sample letter to your local grocer requesting more plastic bag alternatives.
- Campaign Against the Plastic Plague
- Check out the Earth Resource Foundation's Campaign Against the Plastic Plague (CAPP) for facts about plastic bags and solutions to the problems.
- Bring Your Own
- Ah...kindred spirits. Bring Your Own is all about illuminating the problems of our disposable society and working together on solutions. And check out the latest on their blog: http://www.byotalk.blogspot.com/
- "The Bag Beast"
- An informative article by Michael Jessen about the problems with plastic bags, along with international links.
- World Watch Institute
- The World Watch Institute's "behind the scenes" look at plastic bags - problems and solutions.
- To-Go Ware
- A small range of stylish, reusable products (with more to come), such as a travel utensil kit and a lightweight, compact bag. The site also includes links to helpful green Web sites.
