Are you still using plastic bags at the store? While it’s hard to break the habit of using plastic bags, this infographic shows staggering stats about plastic bag use.
For instance, did you know…
- Less than 1% of plastic bags are recycled
- Inks and dyes in plastic bags contain lead and toxins
- 100,000 sea turtles die each year due to strangulation from plastic bags
- Ireland banned plastic bags in 2002 and usage dropped 90% within a week
- Consumers pay $18-30 per person per year in hidden costs tacked on by supermarkets to pay for plastic bags
What can you do instead?
Keep 5-10 reusable bags in your car to use at any time. And if you forget to bring the reusable bags into the store, just tell the checkout clerk to put your items back in your cart without bags. Then, just bag the items yourself using your reusable bags. I’ve done it many times before myself.
You can also reuse and upcycle the bags you have. Here are some ideas:
- Upcycle Plastic Bags in Reusable Sandwich Bags and Tote Bags
- 18 Ways to Reuse Plastic Bags
- Make a DIY Hammock Chair with Upcycled Plastic Bags
Image courtesy of winnond / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
This post was written by
Tracey Black is the founder and editor-in-chief for Don't Mess with Mama, the sassy mom's guide to parenting, green living and travel. She is a regular contributor to Redbook's Mamarama blog, and a social media strategist working with eco-friendly brands such as Stonyfield, Juice Beauty and others. She has three boys and lives in San Diego, Calif.
I always cringe when I see plastic bags now. I hope more US cities will fight the plastic companies and ban plastic bags like Seattle!
Shannon @ GrowingSlower recently posted..VBAC Birth: A Guide to Overcoming Opposition
We also have a plastic bag ban here in Toronto, but they’re still available for those who want to purchase them at 5 cents a piece. Great tip on just putting the groceries back in the cart when you forget the bags in the car!
Sarah @ Nature’s Nurture recently posted..Homemade Stovetop Popcorn (And Seasoning Ideas!)
I have at least 3 dozen reusable bags, and I cringe every time I forget them. I need to start remembering to use my reusable produce bags too!
Chrystal @ Happy Mothering recently posted..Please Help Shai Spread Her Message of Peace
I started using re-usable bags awile back and found some adorable handmade ones on etsy that I bought. Love them. We dont have a ban here but you get $0.10 off your bill for every bag you use at my grocery.
I love the idea of getting some $$ back if yo don’t use plastic bags. I think it’s a great way to incentivize people to use reusable bags.
Love that info graphic! I am a big fan of scrunch into a small ball kinds of reusable bags like Chicobags. I just have stashes of them on my glove box, purse, diaper bag etc. See example:
http://www.silentsprings.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=293&vmcchk=1&Itemid=293
Tamara @ Silent Springs recently posted..Vegetarian Minestrone Soup Recipe
So perfect that I came across your post today – I just posted about reusable bag options as an alternative to single use disposable plastic bags. I am also a big supporter of the campaign to ban plastic bags here in my local area of Philadelphia.
Sarah recently posted..Reusable Shopping Bags Made in USA
That’s fantastic! I hope all cities can ban plastic bags soon.
I am not a fan of reusable bags.
However, I reuse my plastic bags as garbage bags.
Heather Johnson recently posted..Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Risk Categories: Medications U
That’s great that you find ways to reuse them instead of throwing them away. Every little bit helps.
I made “the switch” kind of on accident when they built an Aldi near us! I thought it was so awesome that they cut their costs to the consumer by eliminating bags – and recently, another local chain stopped doing bags, too! It’s awesome – totally a win-win for everyone!
Jaime recently posted..Homemade Dairy-free Coffee Creamer
Yep, I love the idea of cutting out bags at stores. Makes so much sense and really teaches us to bring our own. Thanks for visiting.
I live in Long Beach and you can’t get plastic bags there anymore at all. It’s just paper bags and they charge you between 10 and 20 cents a bag. While I don’t like the charge, I love the switch to paper. Whenever I forget to bring my reusable bag, I use the paper bags at home for same day trash. They come with handles, so it’s perfect to conveniently take the small bag at night and carry it outside to the trash can. *Perfect!* You could never do that with plastic bags.