Reusable shopping bags are more than just a stylish way to carry your groceries home from the organic farmer’s market while drinking your kombucha through a paper straw. There are numerous reasons why using reusable bags is the best method to transport your groceries not the least of which is new legislation that requires it in many locations.
Single-use plastic bags in large retail outlets were effectively outlawed in at least three states and ten additional significant cities and counties in the United States as of April 2019. Many other jurisdictions have imposed required plastic bag fees in stores and increased recycling efforts for single-use plastic products such as bags.
The Environmental Impact of Plastic Bags
The most obvious and pressing reason for using reusable bags is to lessen the environmental effect of plastic bags. Single-use plastics, such as water bottles and shopping bags, are clogging landfills and threatening wildlife. Indeed, pleas from do-gooders, tree-huggers, and others to reduce our plastic waste have become so common that many of us may be tempted to dismiss them.
Still, the truth is that our usage of plastic bags is far too prevalent (particularly in the United States) and is wreaking havoc on the environment. So, rather than preaching to you, our beloved readers want to get to the point and buy some great goods. We’ll hit you with some harsh facts regarding single-use plastic bags.
The Top 5 Global Plastic Bag Facts
- According to the Centers for Biological Diversity, plastic pollution in the oceans has harmed at least 267 distinct species.
- Every year, up to 100,000 marine species are killed by plastic bags. The leatherback sea turtle is particularly vulnerable, as it frequently confuses plastic bags for the jellyfish it eats. According to the Centers for Biological Diversity, one out of every three leatherback turtles had plastic in its stomach.
- The average person in the United States uses roughly one single-use plastic bag every day. Courtesy of the National Geographic Society, let’s put that in context. Danish customers use barely four plastic bags each year on average.
- At the same time, Americans toss away up to 100 billion plastic bags each year.
- A plastic bag might take up to 500 years to decompose in a landfill. Plastic bags deteriorate, according to the Earth Day Network. They absorb chemicals that are then released into the air, water, or ground.
We hope you better understand why we should use reusable retail bags now that you are aware of the enormous impact single-use plastic bags have on our environment. What’s stopping us? It appears to be a simple decision to make and a simple practice to implement.
Why aren’t there more people using reusable bags?
With so many advantages to utilizing reusable shopping bags, it appears that this is a no-brainer. And it is (at least in theory).
Ironically, many individuals mention our brains as the largest impediment to truly accepting reusable bags—we forget! We’ve all done it: you bring your groceries home, put them away, and then leave your reusable shopping bags in the kitchen. . You leave them in the trunk when you go shopping.
Still, Having Trouble Using Reusable Shopping Bags?
Here are our top suggestions for tricking yourself into using reusable bags as part of your daily routine:
- Please make a point of returning to your reusable bags rather than purchasing single-use bags at the store when you forget them.
- Once your groceries are unpacked, place your reusable bags near the door. So you can see them the next time you go shopping. Alternatively, make an extra trip to place them in your car.
Yes, these extra steps may seem inconvenient at first, but if you do them frequently enough. You’ll never forget your luggage again. Furthermore, it is a little amount to pay for helping to preserve the lives of millions of animals…as well as our world.
Everyone Can Use Reusable Shopping Bags!
So, once we’ve all figured out how to remind ourselves to bring our reusable shopping bags with us to the store, the only remaining hurdle to utilizing them can only be a lack of them.
We sell a wide choice of reusable bags and other eco-friendly promotional materials, which is fortunate for you. Even better, we design them at no extra cost to promote your brand or cause.
Best of all, we have low rates on reusable shopping bags. So you can do more than your share by freely handing them out to clients, customers, guests, and friends. This helps to spread the news about the benefits of using reusable shopping bags.
