Plastic bags are another example of an everyday item that gets one or two uses before making its way to a landfill or the ocean where it will never break down.

Blogger Steph Newman from 1millionwomen wrote a blog that provides some facts about plastic bags that people might not know. For example, did you know that there may be animal fat in your plastic bags? Or that those “biodegradable” bags may not be so biodegradable after all and take years and years before they can break down?

When they end up in the ocean, they are eaten by turtles and other marine organisms that confuse them for jelly fish. The bags can get tangled inside the organism and cause them to starve to death because their stomachs become full of plastic, which has no nutritional value and cannot be digested.

Even if you are one of the people who properly disposes of your bags in the proper receptacles, there is no way you can know for sure that a bag that was once in your possession has never blown away and ended up being ingested by an animal. The only way to avoid this issue is to stop using them.

 

 

In areas where a plastic bag ban has been implemented, there have been immediate results where fewer bags have been found during beach cleanups in that area. Not only are these bans great for the environment, they actually save stores money because they no longer have to purchase the bags. Everyone wins in this situation. Together we can all end the usage of single use plastics.

Where are these bans happening? Check out this website for an interactive map of ban locations

 

What can you do?

  • Bring reusable bags when you go shopping
  • Bring plastic bags to stores with you and reuse them
  • Opt for paper if you must use disposables
  • Go bagless if you are able to carry your purchases
  • Advocate for a single-use plastic ban where you live