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Some Facts About Plastic Shopping Bags
World wide, single use plastic shopping bags are handed out at the alarming rate of about 1 million per minute [Source 1].
Plastic shopping bags can take up to 1,000 years to breakdown [Source 2].
When they do breakdown they become tiny toxic bits that are left in our soil, lakes, rivers and oceans.
These tiny toxic bits enter our food chain when fish, birds, and animals either mistake them for food or they ingest them by accident [Source 1].
The manufacture and disposal of plastic shopping bags uses vast quantities of non-renewable resources especially petroleum.
Global warming gases are released during their production, transportation, and disposal.
[Source 3].
Plastic marine debris is known to be the cause of injuries and deaths of numerous marine animals and birds, either because they become entangled in it or they mistake it for prey and eat it
[Source 4].
Paper bags are not the answer, since independent studies show they have roughly as many negative environmental impacts as plastic ones
[Source 5].
Recycling plastic shopping bags is not the answer!
“Plastic from a grocery bag can be processed into parts for a park bench or other hard material, but not the light, flexible material that would make another bag.”
One of the most amazing facts about single use plastic shopping bags is that WE DON'T NEED THEM!
A family of four probably needs no more than 10 reusable shopping bags.
Don't gather too many reusable bags, because that could be an environmental problem of its own!
It does not matter what store you bought them from (or if you made your own) - you can use them at any store.
25 REASONS TO GO REUSABLE!
Check out these pictures but be aware that they are photos of dead birds.
However, the main issue is that we are using too many single-use materials that involve the burning of fossil fuels.
From there, it will never be recycled again.
[Source 3]
+
[Source 6]
We can all stop using them RIGHT NOW!
Paper bags and plastic bags are both great examples of how careless modern society has become.
Eliminate single-use plastic shopping bags and paper bags, bring your own bag [More Information].
Helpful Hints:
After you empty your reusable bags, hang them on your door knob so that when you leave the house again you can take your bags back to your car, truck or bicycle.
If you are at the cash register and you realize that you have forgotten your reusable bags in the car - force yourself to go out and get them - hopefully you won't forget them again.
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