Plastic Bags: Are They Worth Their Cost to the Environment?

They are everywhere. We use them to cart our lunches, to pick up our pets' dutiful duties they perform on a daily basis. They provide the things we schlep around protection when its raining. It's permeated all around us. It's the cheap and convenient, it's the friendly plastic bags. The world consumes about 500 billion to a trillion plastic bags each year in a report released by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Plastic bags are more cost efficient than paper bags; therefore almost 80 % of the grocery store have resorted to using them so the consumers can cart the grocery away in their mammoth SUV's. Even the Jolly Green Girl has resorted to packing some extra plastic bags during her grocery trips because they are very useful as pooper scoopers. However we can not deny that they do more harm than good. Most of them end up as litters. Also as they are decomposing, they seep toxins into the environment.

Some facts about plastics

-They were created about twenty-five years ago. Hard to believe that they haven't been around that long
-Plastic bags are banned in some countries and are heavily taxed in others
-Ireland has reduced the use them to 95% and some counties such as England is looking to do the same
-Answers.Com states "Plastic bags have advantages and disadvantages when compared to alternatives such as paper bags and cardboard boxes. The durability, strength, low cost, water and chemicals resistance, welding properties, lesser energy and heavy chemicals requirements in manufacture, fewer atmosphere emissions and light weight are advantages of plastic bags."

So what can we do?

Many cities have started recycling programs where consumers can take their used bags to their sites. Once the bags reach there; they are recycled to be used in building materials. However it is estimated that the plastic bags are the least recycled material. Many end up as litter or in the landfill where it can take anywhere from 500 to 1000 years to decompose. This is an estimate since we haven't had the plastics bags for that long.

The best way to remedy this situation is to purchase cloth bags. They are very Eco-friendly(Ahhhh.... my favorite word) and they look very chic. Well, in that I just got out of yoga class, and I care about the environment way. You can find them online and some health food emporiums have started selling them. (Hopefully one day they can GIVE them away but I am sure that's just wishful thinking) Below are links to online stores that carry them

EcoBags
many different bags to choose from
Envirosax Reusable Grocery Bag
these bags look very fashionable. They don't even look like grocery bag. Based in Australia but will ship to the US.
Amazon carries them too... they have everything!