Use Reusable Bags

Alarming Facts

• 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.

References

• https://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/plastic-bags.asp
• http://plastic-pollution.org/
• https://www.reusethisbag.com/articles/plastic-shopping-bags-environmental-impact/
• https://greenerideal.com/news/environment/0613-how-do-plastic-bags-affect-our-environment/
• https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/05/plastics-facts-infographics-ocean-pollution/
• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/07/ocean-plastic-pollution-solutions/