Going Green: Benefits of Re-Usable Bags

Going green is finally catching on. And a major aspect of going green is having your own hemp or canvas bags with you. Carrying and re-using your own bags demonstrate to the world that you care about taking care of this wondrous earth of ours.

ENVIRONMENTAL LITTER: PLASTIC BAGS

Plastic bags, found everywhere around the world, have devastating consequences to the earth. According to the Australian ABC website, plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years by some estimates, to biodegrade. In addition, they often end up in lakes, streams, and the oceans which lead to trouble for water fowl and other marine life. Unfortunately, the bags have been discovered in the stomachs of various animals and ocean creatures. Some reports indicate many have died from eating the bags.

Another serious problem with the bags is that they get caught in sewage and other types of waterways. According to Australian ABC, plastic bags were instrumental in the floods in Bangladesh the 80s and 90s.

Vincent Cobb, a concerned citizen, estimates that between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed each year. The results are staggering in terms of how quickly they build up in landfills and waterways. Even as they biodegrade over hundreds of years, their poisonous elements find their way into our fields and streams.

MORE REASONS TO CARRY AND RE-USE YOUR OWN BAGS:

1. You don't have to choose "paper or plastic" at the grocery. Just hand your canvas or hemp bags to the bagger. Avoiding use of plastic bags saves landfills from countless bags that won't biodegrade for between 20 and 1,000 years (Australian ABC website).

2. When others see you using your own bags, they see how simple it is to do it. Thus, you set an example and inspire others to help save the planet.

3. It reminds us that we have ownership in this big world. We feel responsible about caring for our environment. We are inspired to take other steps to combat global warming.

4. All those paper and plastic bags you used to bring home, probably 8 to 15 or more a week, aren't building up in your drawers and cupboards anymore.

5. If more people carried their own bags, the companies that make plastic and paper bags would have less demand for their products. Thus, maybe they would reduce the manufacture of these bags. No demand means fewer supplies to make.

Understanding the troubling environmental effects plastic bags have can provide incentive to carry and re-use your own bags. Educating yourself about the negative impact of plastic bags empowers you to do something about it. Tote your own re-usable bags to the store. Help save the world.