Here are a few facts about plastic bags from reusablebags.com:
- On average, Americans use 380 billion plastic bags each year.
- Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food.
- Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photo degrade - breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest.
- According to David Barnes, a marine scientist with the British Antarctic Survey, plastic bags have gone "from being rare in the late 80s and early 90s to being almost everywhere from Spitsbergen 78 degrees North [latitude] to Falklands 51 degrees South [latitude]."
- Plastic bags are among the 12 items of debris most often found in coastal cleanups, according to the nonprofit Center for Marine Conservation.
I have fallen in love with a variety of cute Eco-friendly bags, many of which are made from used plastic bags. Before wrapping gifts this Holiday Season with traditional wrapping paper, consider using a reusable bag to conceal your present. I am planning on purchasing several cute and inexpensive reusable bags to give along with my Christmas gifts this year. In many grocery stores, reusable bags cost a mere $.99 cents. More sturdy and decorative bags cost as low as $3 dollars and can be purchased from a variety of online stores. You are giving an additional present to people you care about while spreading a very powerful green message.
Now that is a gift that keeps on giving!!
ACME bag (less than $5 dollars)
And if you don't want to purchase a bag, you can make your own. One final note, the less money grocery stores spend on supplying plastic bags for customers, the more our food prices can fall. So next time you go grocery shopping, clothing shopping, or HOLIDAY shopping, Bring your own BAG!!!
7 comments:
I love my reusable bags. They hold so much more than plastic bags too... and they are much easier to carry and handle.
Plus, at our grocery store, they give you 5 cents off for every reusable bag you bring. I have ten bags, so I get 50 cents off every time I grocery shop. The bags cost $1 each when I bought them (on sale), and they paid for themselves after 20 trips to the grocery store.
Your idea of putting Christmas gifts in reusable grocery bags is genius! But now you've got me wanting some stylish ones instead of my plain black.
I do this all the time at home - it's harder to do on the island but if I get only a few things I'll usually refuse the plastic bags.
I wish more people would use canvas instead of plastic... not only are they environmentally friendly, they're stylish and they won't break when you put a bunch of heavy items in them!
I love my Christmas gift idea and I am glad you do too Kate!! There are some really cute bags out there. You should expect to receive a new bag around christmas time!! I am excited to get back to the states and start shopping with my new canvas bags. I think I am going to bring them to retail stores too. "No GAP, I don't want a gift box or bag!" I am excited to see their faces.
Great Christmas ideas. The only problem for me is that I use my grocery bags to line my garbage cans. I hate washing out cans every week.
Mom, you can purchase recycled trash bags to line your garbage cans. or even use a recycles paper bag to line your trash cans in your bathrooms where your waste isn't as messy. Just an idea.
Personally I like using plastic. Knowing that they kill so many innocent creatures is reason enough for me to promote their use.
To find out more, go to my blog, killallthedolphins@blogspot.com. It's a great place to learn the best ways to pollute the environment and share stories of how dolphins continue to undermine us all!!
Seriously, check it out!
I'm embarrassed to admit that I actually tried checking out your blog..... :(
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