The Consequence of Plastic Bags

It's probably impossible to not be aware of the green movement.  People of all ages are participating, this isn't just a youth only generational movement - everyone can make changes for the good of the earth, the population, and themselves!  I admit, we are still leaving a footprint on this earth that bigger than it needs to be, but little by little we are making changes to shrink it.  Since the US government hasn't done much to regulate environmental policies yet, we need to take responsibility ourselves.  I found out the other day that some countries have banned Plastic Bags.  The city of San Francisco recently banned plastic bags at grocery stores: SF GATE.  Click for the full story - here is an excerpt:

"People are used to getting free bags and thinking there is no real consequence to them, but there is a cost," said Jack Macy, commercial recycling coordinator for the city's Department of the Environment, which is implementing the new policy.

The 180 million plastic bags city officials estimate are handed out in the city each year end up as litter on city streets, clog storm drains, harm wildlife, and contaminate and jam machines used in recycling, Macy said.

And then there is the giant patch of plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean that scientists are monitoring, estimated to weigh 3 million tons and cover an area twice the size of Texas. The patch is about 1,000 miles west of San Francisco, but plastic dumped in the ocean here can end up there.

Wow!  So, if 180 million plastic bags are handed out each year in just San Francisco, imagine over the entire US?  Imagine over the entire world?!   If you purchase just 5 reusable bags to take grocery shopping, to the mall, etc....imagine what an impact you could have.  If you hang onto your plastic bags, don't throw them away and clog up the landfills.  Find a store locally that will recycle these bags.  Recycled plastic bags can make materials like composite boards for long lasting, sustainable building materials.   If you live in Wisconsin, Festival Foods is a location you can recycle your plastic bags.    In our house, we have about 10 reusable bags made out of cloth.  We take them grocery shopping and so forth.  We turn down plastic bags whenever possible. 

I hope you find the information available posted here compelling enough to get some reusable bags, or at the very least, choose paper over plastic.    If you are interested in getting reusable bags, go to reusablebags.com They have a nice choice of practical/usable bags and if you want something fashionable they have that too!

-L