Plastic Bags

Blue Rock Station,
1190 Virginia Ridge Rd.
Philo Ohio 43771 USA
+1-740-674-4300 (phone)
+1-740-674-6303 (fax)

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The Problem with Plastic Bags

It is estimated that somewhere between 500 billion and 1 trillion (about a million each minute) plastic grocery bags are used in the world each year. The reasons for their success are obvious – they are cheap to produce (about a penny each) and they work well. But these little buggers cause significant problems.

Problems Caused by Plastic Bags

· Each year billions of bags end up as ugly litter

· In a landfill, it can take up to 1000 years (obviously an estimate) for the bags to break down

· When they do eventually they break down it is into tiny toxic bits - polluting our soil, river, lakes and oceans

· Production requires vast amounts of oil.

· Countless animals needlessly die each year, mistaking them for food.

· US retailers spend about $4 billion each year to give away these “free” bags. These costs are obviously passed on to you.

So, what Can I Do?

1. First choice is… don’t use them

Use reusable cloth or string bags and keep them in the car. Of course you can reuse plastic and paper bags, but cloth bags are better alternatives because you can reuse them forever! By keeping cloth bags in the car, you will be sure to have them handy when you need them.

Ask for paper bags (if your store still has them). They are less harmful to the environment and can be composted.

2. If you do use them…

Many stores now offer a recycling program for plastic bags. If you can, take advantage of these and dump them off there. If your store does not offer this program, pester the manager. Let him know that some companies will pay $60-$100 per ton for these, turning them into benches and decking material and other similar products. We have a long way to go on this front, however, as studies show only about 3% of the plastic bags are currently recycled.

But, before you drop them off at the recycling bin, reuse them once or twice around the house. Use them as bathroom trashcan liners, rag holders or whatever else you can imagine.

Plastic Bags Blow Away…

We have all seen discarded plastic bags ballooning with air and floating on the breeze. Officials in South Africa have joked that plastic bags are now the “official flower” of their nation, because they are so plentiful, clinging to trees and bushes across the countryside. So what can you do to lessen this problem?

Whether you recycle the bags or just throw them away, tie a knot in the bag before you get rid of it. This will prevent the little pest from catching the wind and blowing away.

- Ideas in this brochure “recycled” from http://reusablebags.com