The state of Colorado charging a 10-cent fee per plastic bag isn't going to fix the problem by any means, but we're hopeful it could help lessen it in the long-term. For this reason, I decided to invest a little amount of money (perhaps $30) to purchase reusable produce bags. 4. Twelve minutes is the average time plastic bags are in use before sitting in a landfill forever. Reuse Food Containers - Instead of recycling glass containers once you've used up the contents, remove the labels (to avoid confusion) and use them again for leftovers or homemade items. Because they are contributors to a large percent of the plastic pollution of our planet on both sea and land and because they are for the most part unnecessary. Our ever-increasing demand to consume, mixed with plastics low cost and versatility, is at the core of this over-production and pollution. First of all, why is it important that we reduce plastic bags? Simultaneously, tests on animals have shown the potential for damage to developing brain and reproductive systems. However, it is not the most effective or efficient thing that you can use. You'll save money and also contribute towards keeping non-biodegradable products out of the environment. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The cost of cleanup per bag (meaning waste collection and processing) is about 17 cents. Use washable, reusable silicone baggies (like these, available at amazon) instead of single-use plastic baggies. Keep using them! Way #9: Ditch Plastic . That adds up! 2. Consider how frequently you intend to use the bag, as well as the cost of replacing it. This business received a 5 out of 5 star rating. Although gum was originally made from natural materials such as sap and rubber, manufacturers now use a type of plastic instead. 4. Like with common recyclables, Payne notes that plastic bags should be clean and dry and free of any debris, such as receipts, adhesive labels/stickers, etc. by Johan Jokich | Dec 2, 2022 | Hand Bags. For example, areusable jute bag should last at least four years, during which it can prevent the use of 600 single-use plastic bags. Cotton tote bags are an excellent choice for a reusable shopping bag. The billions of bags that end up as litter are harmful to wildlife, the natural environment and human health, as well as being very costly to clean up. Plastic is getting into these water and food supplies, which results in humans ingesting plastic chemicals when we consume things like seafood. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. As they are non-biodegradable, they take years to decompose. Instead, these brands have indicated their intent to utilize recyclable cardboard, glass, and aluminum instead. You can also inflate zipper bags with air and use these as packaging as well. The regulations to reduce plastic bag usage are part of raft of other initiatives designed to decrease the use of single-use plastics as a while. Bring your bag when going shopping Yes, using plastic bags can be convenient, especially when grocery shopping. What does occur in most instances is that, when out in the environment, the plastic breaks up into tiny microscopic pieces, depositing into the soil (where we grow food) or contaminate waterways. Can You Put Hand Warmers In Plastic Bags? You'll reduce your plastic by cutting down on the packaging these items are often wrapped in. Hand-carry the items out of the store if you can. How about carrying things out to the pool? More than one million bags every minute. While plastic water bottles are relatively easy to recycle, those that get thrown into the . Although there is no simple answer to this problem, research can shed light on the effects of common types of reusable bags. Before I decided to reduce plastic bags, I used to keep one large trash bag in the bin and smaller bags around the house which were replaced weekly. There are numerous great bag brands available, including L.L.Bean and Saint Laurent. Its unavoidable; sometimes we all end up with a few plastic bags. A tote bag can last anywhere from a few months to a few years, depending on how often it is used and how well it is cared for. You save money and unnecessary plastic packaging. Disposable coffee cups might look like paper but they're usually lined with polyethylene, a type of plastic resin. Having a specific recycling station could significantly change how plastics are disposed. Way #5: Buy In Bulk & Use Alternative Container Types. If you're someone who purchases water in plastic containers regularly, an easy way to reduce plastic is to invest in a water filter. Way #1: Stop Using Plastic Straws. Some high-end grocery stores have a paper bag only policy. It is recommended that low-density polyethylene (the thicker plastic bags used in supermarkets) be used four times. Here we go: 1. That is also the reason why I find it really puzzling that we still rely so much on them. Minimising he consumption of plastics is much simpler than it seems. So the question you might be wondering is, where do all these plastic bags and other items come from? But before that, lets see what plastic is and why we should reduce the use of plastic bags. Place plastic lids under furniture that needs to be moved, the furniture will slide easily along the floor. According to a 2014 study conducted in the United States, reusable LDPE and polypropylene bags do have a lower environmental impact than standard plastic bags. If only you use these types of bags, your bag will be reused over and over again, saving an additional 1,4540,000 bags. There are many small ways you can have a big impact. It has contaminated our food chain, so it should not surprise us that microplastics are in our bodies. List 2.0. A single reusable tote can replace up to 31 plastic bags. Plastic bags simply don't have the reusable potential of cloth or even paper bags. Get a stainless. Cotton Shopper Tote Bags are made by the 4imprint Cotton Shopper brand. Leather is significantly more expensive than these, but they are also more comfortable to wear. By clicking OK, you agree to our use of cookies. In some places plastic bags are banned altogether, however, while we wait for businesses to help out, individual actions are fundamental in making a difference and this is really one area where they can. If you're considering how to reduce the use of plastic bags, then you can think further ahead and make a conscious decision to shop at certain stores that charge for plastic bags. Think of creative ways that you can use the bags to save you money or time or be fun! There's even an app that tells you where you can refill your bottle for free! 2. In order to help reduce the amount of plastic pollution in our environment, many cities and states have enacted laws that ban the use of enhanced plastic carryout bags. Finally, keep your bag in the recycling bin when it is finished. In this blog post, we will discuss ways that you can reduce plastic pollution. If not, invest in a filter system. People are perplexed as a result of the plastic bag ban that many major retailers have implemented. These invisible little fragments get into everything. And according to a scientific research article, only 9% of all the plastic we produce worldwide is recycled. In this article, I will explain how to reduce the use of plastic bags through very simple measures that you can incorporate into your day today. Were going to discuss plastic pollution as a whole briefly and then dive into plastic bags in particular. The first and best option for reducing plastic waste is to minimize single-use plastics in your daily life. It is recommended that low-density polyethylene bags, or thicker plastic bags commonly found in supermarkets, be used at least four times. I decided to take those with me every time I went shopping. This snappy logo-d bag can be used to promote your message. Regardless of your daily needs or special occasions, there is a great tote bag for you. Ditch plastic razors. If an animal mistakenly consumes the plastic bags, it may suffer serious health problems and even death. Impact of plastic bags on the environment and harmful effects of plastic pollution in the ocean. Re-purpose plastic bags as trash liners or pet waste bags. If we do nothing, in the year 2030 2 garbage trucks full of plastics will be dumped in our seas every minute, and by 2050 there will be four trucks per minute. Jute bags are a popular carry-all. Well talk about zero waste lunches and eliminating Ziploc storage in a different post. Canvas Admiral tote with screen in large cotton canvas. After a while of putting into practice the measures that at the beginning, are easier for you, it will be very easy for you to incorporate all the others into your daily work. A tiny wax worm can dissolve plastic pollution with its saliva, new research has found. 18 Ways to Reduce Your Plastic Use. We have a whole other post on plastic wrap, its problems, and the best alternatives out there! How many times per day do we need to use bags to protect our environment? Signing a petition that addresses the issue of single-use plastic . Bag bans have spawned bans of other plastic products, including plates, cups, cutlery, straws and bottles, as part of an expanding effort to reduce single-use plastics, which make up about 40. On the other hand, in a Greenpeace article, we are told that in Europe alone, almost 100,000 million plastic bags are produced every year that are only used on average for 15 minutes. There are many ways you can take action against plastic pollution and help reduce the amount of waste produced each year. Sea turtles and sea life arent the only ones affected. And remember, if you dont have your reusable bag with you and you need to use plastic bags, you can minimize the environmental impact by reusing, repurposing and recycling them. You can find these unique and funny reusable bags above by clicking right here! Petroleum-based plastic bags are composed of very resistant synthetic polymers that may take up to 1,000 years or never until they completely degrade in natural environments. This same report tells us on page 17 that if we continue at this rate, by 2050, there will be more tons of plastic in the sea than tons of fish in all the worlds oceans. If they shop weekly, that's 780 bags a year! Scientists suspect that it may add stress to the liver by introducing more pathogens into the body. Well, plastic fibers were found in 80% of the 159 samples of tap water analyzed, and in all brands of beer and sea salt. How to Reduce Plastic Waste methods 1 Carrying Reusable Items 2 Shopping Responsibly 3 Advocating and Volunteering Other Sections Expert Q&A Tips and Warnings Related Articles References Co-authored by Kathryn Kellogg Last Updated: June 12, 2022 References Every year, people create about 300 million tonnes of plastic waste. By the way, plastic Saran food wraps, for example, are also a large contributor due to their thin, hard-to-recycle design. #1 Refuse plastic, take your own reusable bags In the U.S., the average family accumulates 15 plastic bags on each trip to the grocery store. It took me a while, but I can assure you that after a few months of persevering it becomes second nature to remember to carry the reusable bags with you. Speaking of refillable, bringing your own thermos for to-go coffee is another way to reduce your plastic footprint. Way #4: Use A Refillable Water Bottle. Additionally, plastics in our digestive tract may affect the absorption of some essential trace elements (like iron), which we need for maintaining proper health. Even if you only have 1-2 reusable bags and a cart full of groceries, this would be two plastic bags you save each trip! Similarly, all other bags in the house are not replaced weekly anymore but on a need basis. How to Reduce Plastic Use in Daily Life - Fun activities to teach your child how to reduce plastic usage and ways to avoid plastic pollution. Another way you can easily reduce the amount of plastic waste you create at home is by stopping to buy one-time-use plastic bottles. - Instead of using bubble wrap to ship small items or fragile items, wrap them in a plastic bag to prevent breakage. 2. If every American replaced one plastic bag with a completely new bag, how many bags would there be saved and how much money would be saved? In fact, pleas from do-gooders, tree . In its 2018 report, the DEC found that plastic bags can cause long-term damage to the environment and peoples' health. This policy pushes San Francisco residents even further to use reusable bags by placing an additional 10-cent fee on single-use compostable or recycled paper bags that customers need at the checkout. Required fields are marked *. Plastic bags that are single-use are recyclable, but recycling rates for these bags are low. If you cant reuse, recycling is a great way to get the most out of these bags. One of the easiest ways to reduce plastic use is by saying "no" to these single-use, non-recyclable options. In that case. REUSE your existing plastic bags as much as possible. First and foremost, decide what type of bag you want to replace them with. When you go to your supermarket or your usual store with your own cloth bags, you just have to tell the shopkeeper thatyou have brought your own bags because you want to reduce the consumption of plastics and put the products you choose in them. Reusable bags may be made from many different materials ( hemp . It doesnt take a rocket scientist to see whats going on here. I stopped buying them and now look for similar products without the plastic. 1. Send me an email at info@choosesustainable.org, Your email address will not be published. However I realized later that recycling should be the last resort for the plastic we really cant dispense with, not a feel-good excuse. Reduce Plastic Pollution By Avoiding Buying Plastic Bags. The probability that sea turtles will consume even more plastic increases every year. 2. The biggest challenge at the beginning was to remember to put the bags in the car and take them with me in the shop. In a scientific study, 159 samples of tap water were analyzed from t 5 populated continents of planet Earth. But if we all made an effort to use them just a little bit more often, it could make a big difference. The best option is always tochoose a reusable bag. Non-woven polypropylene bags should be used 11 times more frequently than cotton bags, and cotton bags should be used 131 times more frequently than non-woven polypropylene bags. Polyethylene gets used to make most plastic bags, a substance derived from crude oil refining and natural gas processing. It'll clean the showerhead for you. Totes with holes are essential for your companys success. I then decided to just place the vegetables directly in the shopping cart and then in the canvas bag with everything else at the checkout, this is an option, however it didnt work out well for me. Once I settled with the reusable canvas bags I focused on the plastic produce bags. Around 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide every year, but the average bag is used for just 12 minutes before being thrown away and only one in 200 isrecycled. A simple way to overcome this is always to keep your bags in your car. Advice on How to Reduce Your Use of Plastic Put an end to using plastic straws, especially in establishments like restaurants. 2. Don't buy beverages bottles in plastic. Many disposable water bottles end up in the trash, so it helps to have your own container you can use multiple times. Jute bags, in my opinion, are the most advanced and effective alternative to plastic bags. Avoid tea bags and use a tea strainer. There is more to plastic than just bags and some plastic is difficult to eliminate depending on where one lives because of the lack of alternatives. You can also reduce the consumption of plastic, buying rolls of toilet paper that do not come wrapped in plastic. For example, disposable plastic bags take less than one second to make, are used for 12-20 minutes, but . Instead of using a bag, carry your toothpaste tube and gum pack to the car, bagless! Try natural beeswax coated cloth wraps instead of plastic cling film Buy necessary plastic items used instead of new Compost food waste to avoid plastic garbage bags Do you live in an area where plastic bags are taxed or banned? Likewise, if you have many plastic bags stored at home, you shouldreuse them as many times as you can until they are broken to buy your fruits and vegetables in bulk at your usual store or supermarket. Bring Your Own Reusable Shopping Bags According to the EPA, we use over 380 billion plastic bags and wrapsevery year. The very best alternative is a reusable bag, plain and simple. And plastic particles were found in 93% of them. As for the waste from the cats litter box it now goes in small paper bags. But climate campaigners have recruited an unlikely new ally in their fight to reduce this waste - wax worms, the moth larvae that infest beehives. Cotton Canvas Tote Bag Black is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and costs between $4.45 and $7.45. Typically made from petroleum (a non-renewable, unsustainable resource), it emits CO2, which contributes to global warming. Just tie this around the showerhead with 1 cup of vinegar inside of it. Poke drainage holes in the bottom and use a plastic lid to catch drips. In fact, recycling is not a sustainable option because it requires energy and because much of what we put in the recycle bin ends up somewhere in some other country still polluting land and rivers, just out of our sight. Their removal from the recycling stream costs municipalities close to $1 million a year. According to a study conducted by the United Kingdom (U.K.), cotton bags must be recycled 131 times before they can have a comparable impact on climate change to that of plastic bags. Car Trash Bags We have developed a disposable lifestyle, and estimates are that around 50% of plastic is used just once and thrown away. Bring your own cloth bags to the grocery store (or any store!). Welcome to YouChoose, a blog where we explore ways of living sustainably. Some can trigger various health effects and even alter hormones. Give our Executive Assistant, Jo, a shout if you'd like to know where we got ours from jo@innovationvisual.com. 2. The simple steps described above have definitely helped eliminate the vast majority of plastic bags entering the house. In that case, you must check out these 100% biodegradable bags! Personally, I recommend this Doulton water filter that you can install in just 2 minutes in your kitchen tap. Say no to plastic straws Plastic straws are bad news for our oceans. Microplastics were found in soft drinks like Coca Cola, in tap water, in seafood. This way, you wont need to buy bottled water to consume it at home. Carry your own reusable steel or ceramic beverage container. If you look around you will see that there is still much to do in this area. It only takes a few minutes to drink a bottle of water or enjoy an almond milk latte, but that plastic bottle or cup could take hundreds of years to break down in a dump or end up in the ocean. ), frozen items, not to even mention plastic containers. Here's our nine top tips: 1. In addition there were small bags to clean the cats litter box and Ziploc storage bags to pack my daughters lunch. There is a cost at some point in the consumption process. Cotton tote bags are not only environmentally friendly, but they are also reasonably priced. At the same time, we know how difficult it can be to break a habit that you've been used to for years. cardboard is an oversized package. Often, managers instruct store employees to separate different types of products in separate bags. It is also one of the more difficult sources of waste to tackle - at least as a consumer. Here are some tips that can change your life and the life of the planet: Avoid single-use plastics such as drinking straws Single-use plastics, such as plates and cutlery made from this material, make our lives easier, but seriously harm the planet. That means if everyone in the US switched to just one reusable tote, we could save over 3 billion plastic bags every year. That comes out to about 300 bags per person, per year. In addition, another scientific study analyzed the bottled water of 259 bottles belonging to 11 major companies that sell their bottled water in Europe, America, Asia, and Africa. One of the easiest things to do is purchase food, like cereal, pasta, and rice, nuts, or frozen veggies from bulk bins, filling a reusable bag or a container. Next, I leave you, as an example, a link to an online fruit and vegetable store thatis in Spain and that sends home orders without plastics: Veritas. Why is this happening and how can you respond? There are many ways to reduce plastic pollution, but you have to start somewhere! They both come in a set of many sizes which are large enough to contain any amount of vegetables. A simple way to overcome this is always to keep your bags in your car. After thinking about it I realized that several canvas bags collected throughout the years from meetings, conferences, and organizations I support were unused in the closet. Cut out plastic bags entirely by taking your own reusable shopping bags instead. Ninety percent of the plastic items in our daily lives are used once and then chucked: grocery. This is by far and hands down the EASIEST way to reduce plastic waste!!! While they might be free at the store, we pay a high price elsewhere to use those thin bags. Ways to Reduce Plastic Use a reusable water bottle or cup Use a reusable coffee cup or mug Reduce the use of plastic bags - replace plastic bags with reusable bags Use reusable ink cartages Use reusable pens or pens made with recyclable plastic. Adam - the author and TGL founder - has a background in product research and design. Plastic can take up to 1000 years to decompose, clogging up landfill and polluting the ocean. Plastic is a fantastic material that we should all be using more of, but it's no good for the environment when left . On average, taxpayers end up spending about $88 per year on plastic bag waste alone. The first measure that I suggest reducing the consumption of plastic is to buy your fruits and vegetables in bulk at your usual supermarket or store and have them weighed separately in your own biodegradable cloth bags that you bring from home. Moreover, you can do the same for fresh fruit and vegetables. When theyve been used and reused and theyre at the end of their life, the only remaining option is to recycle them. The bags made of Hessian are also more durable than cotton bags, which are also popular. 7. Capital of Italy, Best Online Job Without Investment: Start Today, Reasons You Shouldn't Drop Out of College. Or just reuse your plastic grocery bags for as many uses as you can! Customers can use personalized tote bags to complete the shopping experience by purchasing all of the necessary items. Depending on the type and size of the bag, a custom shopper bag can cost anywhere from $1.55 to $2.39. They contribute to a lot of waste which keeps collecting over the years. Give up gum. Why is this such a bad thing? I myself used to not worry so much about it, thinking that I recycled the bags after using them. Here are four policy and legal approaches from UNEP and WRI's guide that countries can use to reduce their plastic waste permanently: 1. Twelve countries of the EU are considering the charge option or have already made steps. You can get as few as 100 ships within two days. Policy shifts can reduce plastic pollution by incentivizing changes in both business and consumer behavior, as well as in plastic design, alternatives and recycling. The most obvious and urgent answer to the question, "Why use reusable bags?" is to reduce the impact of plastic bags on the environment. In a Greenpeace press dossier, we are told that a conventional plastic bag takes 55 years to decompose at sea. . One reusable grocery bag can potentially replace one plastic bag in the lives of thousands of people. Reuse old plastic bags for multiple shopping trips. Action #5: Think of ways to reduce plastic bags use in your home. Annually approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, charging for bags could help make for a more litter-free community. In total we are down to one plastic bag per week. 1. Three: the most influential decision you can make to reduce your plastic consumption as an individual and as a consumer is to invest in a reusable bag. Cook at home more often! Plastic tea bags can release about 11 billion microplastics into a single cup of tea! Ask yourself in that situation is this necessary? In the United States alone, it is estimated that we use about 100 billion plastic bags every year. The more times you can use it the more environmentally friendly it will be. One way to reduce the production of this huge amount of plastic bottles is to install a water filter in your kitchen faucet. You can read more on this specific topic in our other post on plastic pollution in the ocean. We addressed how plastic negatively impacts wildlife, on our lands, in the air and sea. There are also, to a lesser extent, plastics that come from renewable sources such as corn starch or potato starch that are biodegradable. 2. If they shop weekly, thats 780 bags a year! Action #3: Get organized with reusable bags for fruits and vegetables. These cotton briefs measure 14 ounces and come in a variety of sizes. Hand-carry the items out of the store if you can. Thankfully, there are plenty of methods on how to reduce plastic bags pollution. They might be designed to be used just once, but theres plenty of life left in most plastic bags after youve emptied out the groceries. Shop at certain places. Shards of plastic fester in the stomach because the plastic cannot be properly digested. That is a large increase from 1996 when the U.S. sold an estimated 3.8 billion plastic water containers. First, we should use reusable and washable plastic containers such as Tupperware instead of disposable plastic bags to carry take away food. Sourcing locally and avoiding air-freight transported goods is another way to reduce the environmental impact of products over their life cycle. Plastic bags floating in the ocean resemble jellyfish, one of the primary food sources for some species of sea turtles (pictured above), especially the critically-endangered Leatherback turtles. Policy: San Francisco was the first city in the U.S. to completely ban plastic bags back in 2007. While the best option would be to decline a bag altogether, the second best option, when it's unavoidable, is to recycle the bags you use. The marine animals that are eventually caught as seafood and consumed by people contain micro-plastics. When buried in landfills, plastics can release chemicals that find their way into groundwater. Personally, I recommend this Doulton water filter that you can install in just 2 minutes in your kitchen tap. You can read much more about that topic by getting our FREE Eco-Tableware guide! When he's not reading, cooking, or lifting, he's helping families level up their kitchen and dining gear with relevant blog posts. Next, we can use recycle bags to carry our stuffs. Bring your own reusable coffee cup when going out to get beverages. Soil, water, air, animals, and plants we consume meaning plastic is inside us too. In that case,there are great little folding reusable shopping bags, like these here, which fold up into pocket-sized pouches! Prices range from $9.39 to $18.25. Suppose you are someone whod benefit even further by keeping a reusable bag in your purse. For instance, plastic bags make great mini garbage can liners. One powerful reduce, reuse, and recycle fact is to prioritize reusable items. Or use a bag for only one or two specific items, wasting the rest of the space. More than 20 U.S. states and 150+ cities and counties have alreadybanned plastic bags, and a growing number of countries around the world are also banning or taxing their use. The first and most important way to reduce the use of plastic bags is simply to refuse them! 2022 Parkland Design & Manufacturing Inc. All Rights Reserved, Shorten The Straps On Your Tote Bag For A Perfect Fit, The Perfect Michael Kors Handbag For You At An Outlet Store. They fly off trash piles, garbage trucks, and landfills, and then clog stormwater infrastructure, float down waterways, and . Look around, and youll see they are everywhere. Many thrift stores will reuse plastic bags for their merchandise. You will have a great deal of visibility for your brand if your promotional tote catches the attention of customers. Plastic Bags Take Up To 1,000 Years to Decompose. Use a reusable produce bag. Alternatively, find new uses for your plastic bags: Use them to line the trash can, to pick up after your dog, or even use them as lightweight packaging material in place of bubble wrap or packing peanuts. The Hilton successfully removed plastic straws from many of their properties, quickly followed by Hyatt Hotels, Anantara, and Four Seasons, among others. The proliferation of plastic products in the last 70 years or so has been extraordinary; quite simply, we cannot now live without them. Once you finish with all the plastic bags you have stored at home, I recommend that you go to biodegradable cloth bags. There are some create alternatives out there! Suppose you are a shop owner or just looking for a green version of a standard retail plastic bag with handles. You can also buy your legumes, rice, pasta, and nuts in bulk stores. In recent studies, it has been discovered that plastic litter has an impact on the food chain, so you and your family may be impacted as a result. . Not just that, but these chemicals can be getting into our bodies every time we use plastic containers, bottles, cups, and other dinnerware. Each time you reuse a plastic bag even if its for a different purpose youre reducing its environmental impact. Action #2: Check if you have reusable bags in your home to put to a good use! Weve discussed how and why plastic bag use has become such a large issue in the above topics. These are the most effective ways of reducing plastic waste. Action #4: Make a point to purchase plastic-free produce. 4) If it's okay with your teacher . Convert milk jugs into shelf organizers. Finally, they come in a wide range of colors and designs that are appropriate for each situation. If not available, you can purchase a set of washable canvas bags and train yourself to carry them with you in the store. Advertisement. Photo by Dustan Woodhouse on Unsplash. Buying loose tea in bulk and using a tea infuser or strainer is a zero-waste way to enjoy a cup! This will eliminate the need for plastic containers and storage bags. There are more and more stores where you can go with your own bags and buy all these products. You can check this post out by clicking here. While some plastic can be recycled, the process requires substantial energy and production, making a plastic-free lifestyle a far more sustainable choice. Actions you can take include: Reduce your use of disposable shopping bags by using a reusable bag or container when shopping. . After settling in this routine (it took me several months) I focused my attention on selecting bag-free fruits and vegetables. Buying in bulk may be slightly cheaper, however if possible bag-free produce is a better choice. Because plastic never really disappears. There was an initial worry that a compostable bag in the kitchen will leak, however I found an excellent 13-gallon compostable bag that lasts the entire week without any leak. Take Them to the Grocery You may have plenty of cloth grocery bags on hand, but if you end up with a few extra plastic bags, use them for their original purpose. RECYCLE whenever/ wherever you can OR opt forrecyclable/ biodegradable bags. Glass is great. Next up, were going to dive into these four easy ways to reduce yourplastic bag usage! Of all the garbage collection material in the Pacific Ocean, 80% comes from the land (coastal deposits of plastic from North America take six years to reach the patch). Way #2: Buy A Reusable Bag. Its easy to refuse the bag at the counter. Way #7: Make Your Own Products. Customers have rated Cotton Shopper Tote Bags 4 out of 5 stars and stated that they are of excellent quality. Plastic chemical exposure links to cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, endocrine disruption, and other ailments. If you're interested in easy ways to cut back on your plastic use, consider implementing some of these simple suggestions. Then turn on the water until the bag fills up. Please refresh the page and/or try again. For example, durable single-use plastic bags, bottles, cups, tableware, and take-away food packaging can be reused or repurposed. I find this goes without saying and still I see massive amounts of people at the grocery store bagging and DOUBLE BAGGING groceries. before recycling. They were initially designed to carry groceries, and they can be used for this purpose more than once. Within two days, you can place an order for a maximum of 25 shipped items. Very few grocery stores in my area do offer a paper option, however it seems that most people opt for plastic. [1] 12 oz. Toss a couple of flat plastic containers into a drawer to help keep things organized. Stop buying plastic bottles of water Stop buying bottles of water, and unless it's necessary, politely decline them when they are given to you. Oil and natural gas are non-renewable fossil fuel-based resources. Photo: Samuel Mann Recycle, donate, repair There are seven different types of plastic, but not all can be recycled. Showerheads can get nasty due to the buildup of hard water stains and soap scum. However, it is not necessary that you eat fish so that your body ends up having plastic inside. If you must smoke, consider using filterless cigarettes or switch to e-cigarette 'vaping'. In a National Geographic article, we are told that microplastics have also been found in teair we breathe and how they are negatively affecting a genus of bacteria called Prochlorococcus that is responsible for producing 10% of the oxygen we breathe. You can check this post out by clicking here. Reduce usage of new plastics. A plastic bag has an average working life of 15 minutes. Purchase bottles in the form of boxes instead. A large-capacity boat tote is jam-packed with six gussets to transport everything. Make sure to dispose of your paper bags carefully though; around80 percentof all paper bags end up in landfill. Tips For Avoiding Back Pain When Using A Tote Bag, Bagging A Victims Hand To Preserve Evidence, How To Create A Uniquely Personalized Cotton Tote Bag. Additional sources that I am trying to reduce are bread and frozen vegetable bags. Plastic packaging is the largest end-use market segment accounting for just over 40% of total plastic usage. Some department stores and grocery stores will also often have a location to drop off clean plastic bags to be recycled. Plastic that is not recycled usually ends up in a landfill. They are stylish and earth friendly. One reusable bag may save 500 single-use plastic bags from being destroyed by recycling. Bring your reusable shopping bag instead: The most challenging aspect of this is remembering to take them into the store and creating the habit. Industry giant Unilever (owner of household brands from Dove, Vaseline and Persil to Lipton and Ben & Jerry's) has recently vowed to reduce its usage of "virgin plastics" 50% by the year 2025. Maybe for plastic bag art projects, rather than spending money at the craft store! These canvas tote bags can be customized with your companys logo. The range of prices that these brands offer, ranging from affordable to luxury, sets them apart. Use Reusable Water Bottles and Coffee Mugs It only takes a few minutes to drink a bottle of water or enjoy an almond milk latte, but that plastic bottle or cup could take hundreds of years to break down in a dump or end up in the ocean. Therefore my first target was the trip to the grocery store. If you have the option, choose paper bags rather than plastic to carry home your groceries. Angel said that people . Recycling helps extend that life cycle. Your email address will not be published. We often check out at convenience stores, for example, with ONE or TWO small items in it. According to a study carried out in 2013, plastic ingestion led to about 35% of turtle deaths. Instead, fill up at the tap. In todays post, you will learn why reducing plastic bags is so important. 4. 2. . Shopping in places where you are able to bring your own containers or reusable bags, such as whole food stores or markets, will also help reduce soft plastics he said. Instead of purchasing potatoes and onions in five-pound bags, I now buy everything that is non packaged. Carry a reusable bottle In the UK we use over 35 million plastic bottles every day! Enough plastic wrap is produced each year in the US alone to wrap the entire state of Texas! Most curbside recycling collection systems cant handle plastic bags, so you might need to take them to a drop-off recycling location instead. There, youll learn four ways on how to reduce the use of plastic bags! Honestly, I feel like fainting when I see this. Wean yourself off disposable plastics. Most large grocery chains, home improvement stores and retailershave plastic bag recycling collection bins, so take them back there to make sure they are processed correctly and dont end up in landfill. There is definitely room for improvement. Forgotten your reusable bag? Store refrigerated produce in towels or cloth instead of plastic bags. (and some estimates are higher!) This seems like a fairly straightforward step, however, as it always happens when trying to change long ingrained habits, it takes some discipline, planning, and a little time. I use the natural fiber bags at the grocery store and the other type to store the vegetables in the refrigerator, this way I never run out of them. Theres plenty of choice available; check out thetop 8 alternatives here. Here's how they can be reused around your home: 1. A non-woven polypropylene bag should be used 11 times. This is tough to clean by hand, so let a plastic grocery bag do most of the work! Like sipping through straws? It's not news that single-use plastics like water bottles and shopping bags are crowding landfills and endangering wildlife. Bring your own reusable shopping and produce bags to markets, and avoid using single-use plastic bags. Especially the canvas ones seem small, however they stretch and expand with the weight of the vegetables. Yet residents, on average . 1. Buy soap, shampoo, detergents, and cleaning products packaged in paper, glass, or aluminum. There are three different types of bags: reusable cloth bags, canvas bags, and biodegradable bags. By banning their use, we can help to reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in our landfills and oceans. 5. Both models are washable in the washer so I just add them to the load and dry them quickly by hanging. Sometimes they can, but mostly all the waste is routed by ocean currents to collection zones.. Avoid plastic water bottles. [5] Bring fewer clothes to the dry-cleaner's to reduce your bag use as well. The largest of which is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. At the beginning I was a little bit worried about rotting, but I can definitely say that it is not the case and this system has worked very well for me for several years. The 6 most efficient and simple solutions how to reduce the use of plastic bags are: Use reusable bags when shopping Reuse old plastic bags Reuse a box from the shop Refuse plastic bags and go bagless Re-purpose plastic bags for trash liners or DIY a reusable bag Support plastic ban legislations & petitions Let's look at each idea more in-depth! It is a matter of searching the internet for an online fruit and vegetable store that distributes in the area where you live and that they do not bring them from far away so that there is not much air pollution due to the combustion of gasoline during transport. High exposure can increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes, according to a study. Because of the prevalence of infectious diseases in the post-pandemic world, it can be difficult to keep oneself free of them. With this recycled poly-cotton tote, you can incorporate your logo into a fashionable bag. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. For those who work or travel for pleasure, shoulder bags are often the better option. San Francisco, CA. Non-woven polypropylene bags should be used 11 times more frequently than cotton bags, and cotton bags should be used 131 times more frequently than non-woven polypropylene bags. It is true that sometimes its impossible to find what we like without plastic. Plastic is cheap and incredibly versatile, with properties that make it ideal for many applications. Note: Many of these suggestions are to reduce your waste, which will in turn reduce your use of plastic trash bags. Single-use Plastic Bans Plastic takes thousands of years to break down and decompose. In 2014, the U.S. sold over 100 billion plastic beverage bottles, the Container Recycling Institute estimated; 57 percent of them were for water. Cotton tote bags are also environmentally friendly, as they can be reused over and over again. A handy way to do this is to gather community support. Remember to add some extra bag you find something you like and that you did not plan to buy. This reusability means that you are not consuming more resources every time you need to carry your groceries home. One hundred thousand turtles and marine mammals, such as dolphins, whales, and seals, are killed by plastic marine litter every year worldwide. Food wrappers and packaging were the single greatest source of plastic pollution in the B.A.N. The Dubai Can initiative, for instance, aims to . To conclude this blog, I would like to extend two challenges here: The first challenge is to ask ourselves whenever we are checking out of any store: Do I need a bag for this? The second challenge is to take ownership of the plastic problem and make a conscious effort to take reusable bags with us every time we go in any store and tell the cashier: I brought my own bag, no need for plastic. Although they take more energy to produce, paper bags can be easily recycled or composted, so theyre much less harmful to the environment after they have served their purpose. Estimates show that approximatelyone millionsea birds also die from plastic yearly. If kids love using straws at home (or need to use one because of a health condition), biodegradable paper and reusable metal options are also available. We call plastic those materials that we easily mold using heat and pressure to adopt all kinds of solid shapes such as a bag, a bottle, or a taper. If you use a reusable bag on every trip to the store, you will save an additional 278 million bags over the course of your lifetime. Plastic bags are among the largest contributors to plastic pollution. To find out more about the damage that plastic bags cause, read our article about thepitfalls of disposable plastic bags. It just breaks apart into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Plastic bag bans have worked, but with a catch. 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