There is a movement happening – the movement to save energy, cut back on waste, save trees and GO GREEN.
The environmentalists have finally gotten their way and people are attentively trying to save the environment. Way to go!
Customers have even found away to go green while shopping – reusable bags.
After studies came out presenting to customers just how bad plastic bags are for the environment, reusable bags became all the rage. Grasping the fad by the horns many stores such as Wal-Mart, Ukrops, Giant, Target and other major companies began producing and selling their own reusable bags. And in many cases the store even presented an incentive to save when you used their reusable bag.
How do plastic bags hurt the environment?
Here are some facts about the environmental impact of plastic bags courteously of Natural-Environment.com:
- Plastic bags cause over 100,000 sea turtle and other marine animal deaths every year when animals mistaken them for food
- The manufacture of plastic bags add tones of carbon emissions into the air annually
- Between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year
- Approximately 60 – 100 million barrels of oil are required to make the world’s plastic bags each year
- Most plastic bags take over 400 years to biodegrade. Some figures indicate that plastic bags could take over 1000 years to break down. This means not one plastic bag has ever naturally biodegraded.
The question went from, “Paper or plastic?” to, “Paper, plastic or do you have a reusable bag?”
So being environmentally informed and the conscious shopper you are, when your cashier goes to place your items in a plastic bag to make life easier on you. You stop them and say, “Oh! I don’t need a bag, gott’a save a tree!”
While I am sure the environmentalists appreciate your concern with the well-being of trees… the source for today’s wide variety of plastics is NOT TREES, but petroleum.
So please do not take offence when your cashier cannot resist and responds with, “Gott’a save all those plastic trees.” Congratulations, you have just save a future fake Christmas tree, a plastic palm tree or any other type of fake plastic tree.
Recycle and reuse. Where plastic bags may not be the best to recycle, you can reuse them later.
Ways to reuse that plastic bag that you just refused “to save a tree”
- Take them grocery shopping and reuse them
- Use them as trash can liners
- Why buy bubble wrap? Use plastic bags for safe storing, moving and shipping
- When traveling use plastic bags to keep your dirty clothes from your clean
- Keep a trash bag in your car
- For easy cleanup, place a plastic bag inside a bucket or pot next to your sink when you peel fruits or vegetables. You can quickly dispose of the bag or place peelings in a compost pile.
- When defrosting meats, place a paper towel in a plastic bag and put meats in the bag to prevent messy leaks and cleanups
For more plastic bag reusing tips check out Living a Better Life, BellaOnline, Planet Green and Rustic Girls.
Next time you are out shopping, don’t make a fool of yourself and keep in mind that no trees were hurt in the making of that plastic bag and all the ways you can save the environment and reuse those plastic bags.
Customer Critique 