that across the country– across the WORLD–communities are banning the use of plastic bags. Over the last few years, communities have begun looking at the environmental harms plastic bags do, and have put their foot down! Plastic bags, floating and looking deceptively like jellyfish and other foods, kill over 100,000 sea turtle and marine animal deaths per year. Plastic bags are made from oil, a non renewable resource. 13,000,000 barrels of oil are used to create plastic bags for Americans every year.
This is what happens to plastic bags that are not recycled, or reused. They become litter.
While paper bags aren’t a lot better than plastic because of the resources needed to create them, the best option is a reusable bag made from recycled materials.
For more information about plastic bag bans around the world visit a few of these links!
LA To Ban Plastic Bags by 2010
San Francisco First to Ban Plastic Bags
Ocean City, NJ Debates Banning Plastic Bags
Should Fairfax County impose a ban or a fee on plastic bags? Do you bring your reusable grocery bags with you to ALL the stores where you shop, including the mall?
I strongly believe that Fairfax should impose a ban or a fee on plastic bags. When I first started using reusable bags I will admit that I often forgot to take them with me. I also found that if I stopped by the store on the way home from work I didn’t want to go home first for the bags (that would just waste more gas). I have found that the solution is to not have a location in your house to “store” reusable bags. You will very rarely remember to grab them on your way out the door.
Instead of stuffing the reusable bags in a cupboard, have your “storage location” be your car. Keep a couple in any car you have. When you bring your groceries or purchases into your home, you put away the items you purchase and you can just as easily take the empty bags and throw them back in the car. If you are going to walk to a store you can easily grab the bags out of the car.
There are times when I do leave the bags in the car and forget to take them into the store with me. That is where bags that fold up into a tiny pocket or purse-sized pouch have saved both my husband and I. We have fallen in love with our foldable bags from http://www.envirosax.com/. We actually gave them as gifts to our family and friends over the holidays. It has taken some practice, persistence, and rethinking how I can make reusable bags convenient enough to never forget, but I am confident that we can all survive without any disposable bags.