Reuse or Refuse Plastic Bags
“In the United States, 12 million barrels of oil and 14 million trees go to producing plastic and paper bags each year.”
Time to vent! I refuse to throw away plastic bags and I just won’t use paper grocery bags. Now I have bags of bags of bags, especially during this shopping season. The collection is getting out of control but there is an answer! No, I am not going to break down and throw them in the trash. (Speaking of break down, it takes plastic bags as much as 1,000 years to break down in landfill and 450 in water.) I plan on taking my bags to a local recycling bin (as seen in many Medina, OH parking lots) or to the local Giant Eagle grocery store which also has a bag-recycling bin. I will also stash a folded-up fabric shopping bag in my purse. Maybe this will relieve me from the funny looks I get when I reuse or refuse a bag at the store!Â
Furthermore, I will now give preference to retailers that sell reusable shopping bags, like Giant Eagle. When I am not at a green store, I tend to apologize to clerks about my proactiveness, but why should I? I think I am hip and ahead of the crowd, kind of like the city of San Francisco who recently banned plastic grocery bags. You can read more about that in this past post by Sharon.
My friend’s think I’m crazy, but I know I am just more educated and aware about the issue. Now you are too.
More facts on plastic bags and their unfriendly impact on the earth:
- Plastic bags don’t biodegrade because their components do not biodegrade (especially oil). They actually break down into smaller toxic bits which become consumable contaminants for animals, even humans.
- Other than oil, plastic bags contain metals like chromium and copper. Exposure leads to diseases.
- Oil is expensive! Can avoiding plastic bags lower gas prices? Yes, if more people change their ways! 12 million barrels of oil, remember?
- My fave environmentally friendly, earth-loving, life-changing website ever - IdealBite – is chock full of facts like the one at the beginning of this article.Â
December 6th, 2007 at 7:41 am
Have you used these cloth net bags which can be purchased at some of these organic grocery stores. They are strong, and I shove quite a bit into them. I sometimes get a strange look carrying in my own bags, but I like them.
December 29th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Frank-
I have lots of cloth bags but have just been reusing plastic bags from previous purchases or carrying a giant purse. I am hesitant to use a cloth bag but really, really want to. My problem is, I fear that security might mistake me for a criminal (although I don’t look like one) and tackle me to the ground. It’s pretty sad. Maybe I’ll grow some guts and just carry the bags like you do. Thanks for sharing your hassle free and safe experience!