Each year, around 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. This translates to over one million bags every single minute! 100 billion (300 bags for every single American ) are used in the United States alone!
Most of the plastic bags end up in landfills where they takes around 300 years to degrade. They break down into small toxic particles that contaminate our soil and water.
The plastic bag recycling rate is very low. Out of 200 bags only about 1 is recycled (0.5%)
What can we do?
Use reusable bags. They are inexpensive and can be bought online or in-store. More often than not, they are more fashionable, durable, and some even provide insulation for hot/cold items
Use biodegradable bags for pet’s litter.
There are certain cases where plastic bags are necessary, but we should reuse them as many times as possible before recycling.