THE ECOLOGY OF REUSABLE BAGS
Some environmental facts are:
1. Millions of trees are cut down to make grocery bags.
2. Millions of barrels of oil are used to make plastic grocery bags.
3. Bags fill up our landfills and litter our cities.
4. Plastic bags are not biodegradable and take hundreds of years to break down.
5. As plastic bags degrade they release poisonous materials into the water and soil.
6. Plastic bags can choke and strangle marine life. An estimated 100,000 birds, whales, seals and turtles die every year from plastic bags.
7. Plastic Bags are considered to be a ‘free' commodity, but the cost to households of $10 to $15 dollars per year is added to the price of goods that they purchase.
8. Many cities across the nation are banning the use of plastic grocery bags and many will impose a fee for disposal of these bags.
Now the Good News:
1. If everyone in New York city alone used one reusable bag per person per year, waste would be reduced by 5 million lbs and $250,000 in disposal costs
2. 11 barrels of oil are saved if reusable bags are used in place of 1 ton of plastic bags
3. 13-17 trees are spared and 3 cubic meters of landfill space is saved using reusable bags instead of 1 ton of paper bags.
4. Most grocery stores pay back up to 5 cents for every reusable grocery bag you use.
There are lots of uses for reusable bags. Don't just use them at the grocery store. Think of all the places you shop that give you some type of plastic bag. You can use them in your department stores, drug stores, or craft stores. You can use a reusable bag in any store you purchase items that would be put into a plastic bag. Keep them in the car with you so they are readily available anytime you need them.
Lets all do our part in protecting the world we live in so it will still be here for future generations.
Please visit our links page for links to environmental agencies for more information on how you can help save our planet.
Thank You.
Kathleen Wright
Kwrightsells
