how to reduce plastic bags

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. Cotton tote bags are an excellent choice for a reusable shopping bag. "It's such an easy swap," says Singer. Of course, its not always possible or convenient to use a reusable tote. Avoid tea bags and use a tea strainer. Actions you can take include: Reduce your use of disposable shopping bags by using a reusable bag or container when shopping. Some high-end grocery stores have a paper bag only policy. If they shop weekly, thats 780 bags a year! DIY your cleaning products- use a mixture of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water as an all-purpose spray cleaner (storing it in a reused spray bottle) and produce wash. It has contaminated our food chain, so it should not surprise us that microplastics are in our bodies. The largest of which is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to see whats going on here. 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. Can You Put Hand Warmers In Plastic Bags? Similarly, all other bags in the house are not replaced weekly anymore but on a need basis. And plastic particles were found in 93% of them. Bring your bag when going shopping Yes, using plastic bags can be convenient, especially when grocery shopping. Way #6: Pack Lunches In Reusable Containers. First and foremost, decide what type of bag you want to replace them with. Hand-carry the items out of the store if you can. That adds up! In spite of all my efforts, I still produce enough plastic bags that occasionally a trip to the recycle collection is necessary, the amount of plastic that goes to recycle however is now considerably reduced. If you must smoke, consider using filterless cigarettes or switch to e-cigarette 'vaping'. Required fields are marked *. After thinking this through I realized that replacing all those plastic bags every week was really unnecessary. before recycling. Use a reusable produce bag. It's worth it though! Bring your reusable bags instead. However, these qualities have also resulted in it becoming an environmental issue. What to do with plastic bags before recycling. The very best alternative is a reusable bag, plain and simple. Purchase bottles in the form of boxes instead. But what if there was a way to reduce that number, even if it was just a little bit? Many disposable water bottles end up in the trash, so it helps to have your own container you can use multiple times. 2. We use cookies to analyze website traffic behavior to improve your browsing experience. Here are four policy and legal approaches from UNEP and WRI's guide that countries can use to reduce their plastic waste permanently: 1. Plastic waste materials dont usually drift about aimlessly in the open ocean. 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. 2) Look out for school supplies that come in plastic-free packaging, like single pencils, erasers and pens. Typically made from petroleum (a non-renewable, unsustainable resource), it emits CO2, which contributes to global warming. Both models are washable in the washer so I just add them to the load and dry them quickly by hanging. We addressed how plastic negatively impacts wildlife, on our lands, in the air and sea. For example, durable single-use plastic bags, bottles, cups, tableware, and take-away food packaging can be reused or repurposed. You can find these unique and funny reusable bags above by clicking right here! With this handy tote, you can promote your company in an organized and effective manner. If you want to stop using single-use plastic, you should think about the following factors. Action #2: Check if you have reusable bags in your home to put to a good use! When you go shopping, choose a bag or container that you can reuse to cut down on the amount of disposable shopping bags you use; Reuse your old plastic shopping bags for several journeys to the store; Reuse plastic bags as garbage can liners or as bags for collecting waste from pets; Refuse to take a bag even for products that are convenient . 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. Re-purpose plastic bags as trash liners or pet waste bags. The fact is that no matter how large or small the item we purchase is, we seldom get out of a store without holding a plastic bag, big or small, plain or decorated, distinctive or unremarkable. Maybe for plastic bag art projects, rather than spending money at the craft store! Many recycling facilities consider plastic bags their number one contaminant. 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. Capital of Italy, Best Online Job Without Investment: Start Today, Reasons You Shouldn't Drop Out of College. Car Trash Bags - Instead of using bubble wrap to ship small items or fragile items, wrap them in a plastic bag to prevent breakage. Action #1: Find out the provenance of the plastic bags in your home. Instead, fill up at the tap. Plastic packaging is the largest end-use market segment accounting for just over 40% of total plastic usage. 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 the United States alone, it is estimated that we use about 100 billion plastic bags every year. 1. Be disciplined and train yourself to refuse plastic bags Set realistic goals and achieve them one by one Keep a set of reusable canvas bags in the car Keep a set of reusable produce bags in the car When checking out of any store ask yourself: "Do I really need a bag?" Buy produce that is not packaged in plastic bags Shop at certain places. More than one million bags every minute. Providing shared reusable tubs and drinks cups for staff to use to collect their lunch or snacks is a very quick win in the fight against single use plastics. Even if the purchased object is something that could easily fit in a pocket or a purse, it is invariably placed and handed to us in a plastic bag and we, like automata, extend our hand and grab the bag before heading out of the store. 12 oz. There are various prices to choose from, ranging from $7.15 to $12.25. There, youll learn four ways on how to reduce the use of plastic bags! 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. Nearly all humans blood and tissue contain traces of these plastic chemicals, testing shows. Let's look at how you can start building a life without plastic. Like sipping through straws? As for the waste from the cats litter box it now goes in small paper bags. Carry a reusable bottle In the UK we use over 35 million plastic bottles every day! On average, taxpayers end up spending about $88 per year on plastic bag waste alone. The most obvious and urgent answer to the question, "Why use reusable bags?" is to reduce the impact of plastic bags on the environment. Consider how frequently you intend to use the bag, as well as the cost of replacing it. First of all, why is it important that we reduce plastic bags? These invisible little fragments get into everything. Instead, you are reusing a product, and that means that you are utilizing earths resources intelligently while at the same time reducing waste. According to a study carried out in 2013, plastic ingestion led to about 35% of turtle deaths. Consider food packaging. So, after briefly touching on just SOME of the facts, lets look at how we can reduce one of the primary pollutants responsible for the damage plastic bags. There are 4,000 plastic bottles used every second. Buying loose tea in bulk and using a tea infuser or strainer is a zero-waste way to enjoy a cup! Use glass or steel food containers for leftovers instead of plastic. You make a shopping list to know how many cloth bags you have to take from home. 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. 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. Action #5: Think of ways to reduce plastic bags use in your home. There is definitely room for improvement. A large-capacity boat tote is jam-packed with six gussets to transport everything. A study of the scientific journal Science estimates that in 2010 they ended up at sea between 4.8 and 12.7 million tons of plastic. Its unavoidable; sometimes we all end up with a few plastic bags. 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. #1 Refuse plastic, take your own reusable bags, In the U.S., the average family accumulates15 plastic bagson each trip to the grocery store. Reusable bags may be made from many different materials ( hemp . Say no to plastic straws Plastic straws are bad news for our oceans. Policy: San Francisco was the first city in the U.S. to completely ban plastic bags back in 2007. 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. An autopsy of the stomach of a beached whale found 20 square feet of plastic shopping bags that took up its whole stomach. Moreover, you can do the same for fresh fruit and vegetables. As a result, they can only be reused a few times before being discarded. People are perplexed as a result of the plastic bag ban that many major retailers have implemented. No day goes by without a news article or a talk about the scourge of plastic pollution in the oceans, and yet we fail to make a connection between that problem and our everyday habits. Ditch the bubble wrap! Carrying a reusable bottle is a great way to cut your plastic use and save money too! They are stylish and earth friendly. Instead, these brands have indicated their intent to utilize recyclable cardboard, glass, and aluminum instead. However, it is not the most effective or efficient thing that you can use. 2. Ditch plastic razors. Here we go: 1. Advertisement. A simple way to overcome this is always to keep your bags in your car. You can also inflate zipper bags with air and use these as packaging as well. Chemicals in plastic, such as BPA, can be absorbed by the human body when we eat these fish. Not just that, but these chemicals can be getting into our bodies every time we use plastic containers, bottles, cups, and other dinnerware. For example, areusable jute bag should last at least four years, during which it can prevent the use of 600 single-use plastic bags. 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. In a Greenpeace press dossier, we are told that a conventional plastic bag takes 55 years to decompose at sea. Carry your own reusable steel or ceramic beverage container. . When it comes to plastic bags, the numbers can be quite staggering. You will have a great deal of visibility for your brand if your promotional tote catches the attention of customers. Showerheads can get nasty due to the buildup of hard water stains and soap scum. Just tie this around the showerhead with 1 cup of vinegar inside of it. I haven't gotten a grocery store plastic bag in . 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. Sourcing locally and avoiding air-freight transported goods is another way to reduce the environmental impact of products over their life cycle. Finally, keep your bag in the recycling bin when it is finished. 4. There are some create alternatives out there! For example, disposable plastic bags take less than one second to make, are used for 12-20 minutes, but . Glass is great. Note: Many of these suggestions are to reduce your waste, which will in turn reduce your use of plastic trash bags. Additional sources that I am trying to reduce are bread and frozen vegetable bags. Reuse old plastic bags for multiple shopping trips. Plastic is problematic: it pollutes our waterways, harms wildlife and takes a thousand years to decompose. 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. Well, plastic fibers were found in 80% of the 159 samples of tap water analyzed, and in all brands of beer and sea salt. Toss a couple of flat plastic containers into a drawer to help keep things organized. Ask yourself in that situation is this necessary? To learn more about cookies or how to disable them, visit our Privacy Policy. 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. 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. 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. Providing office reusable containers. In that case,there are great little folding reusable shopping bags, like these here, which fold up into pocket-sized pouches! . Way #7: Make Your Own Products. Plastic bags that are single-use are recyclable, but recycling rates for these bags are low. Recycling helps extend that life cycle. If you're interested in easy ways to cut back on your plastic use, consider implementing some of these simple suggestions. Jute bags are a popular carry-all. This reusability means that you are not consuming more resources every time you need to carry your groceries home. Suppose you are a shop owner or just looking for a green version of a standard retail plastic bag with handles. Very few grocery stores in my area do offer a paper option, however it seems that most people opt for plastic. As you can see, the chances are that you already have plastic inside your body, so we have to start doing something to reduce the mass production of plastic. In a study conducted by Greenpeace in the Mediterranean Sea, we are told that by now it has been documented that 1341 species of marine animals are being harmed by plastic waste, eitherbecause they ingest them, or because they become entangled with them eitherbecause they suffocate with them. We are now producing nearly 300 million tons of plastic every year, half of which is for single use. 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. Speaking of refillable, bringing your own thermos for to-go coffee is another way to reduce your plastic footprint. You can read much more about that topic by getting our FREE Eco-Tableware guide! And according to a scientific research article, only 9% of all the plastic we produce worldwide is recycled. 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. The importance of technology in customer service, Programming tips to be a better programmer, Editing tips to turn your next marketing video, Comparative laptops 2022: the best options on the market, Differences between Mac and Windows: x-ray of the comparison, 5 Important Money Tips for College Freshman, What to See in Rome in 3 Days? Finally, end-of-life impacts must be considered, so that products . One of the easiest ways to reduce plastic use is by saying "no" to these single-use, non-recyclable options. Buying in bulk may be slightly cheaper, however if possible bag-free produce is a better choice. List 2.0. 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. By the way, plastic Saran food wraps, for example, are also a large contributor due to their thin, hard-to-recycle design. You can read more on this specific topic in our other post on plastic pollution in the ocean. How to reuse plastic bags: Plastic bags are great for disposing pet waste - use them for cleaning the cat litter or on walks with the dog! If not available, you can purchase a set of washable canvas bags and train yourself to carry them with you in the store. This snappy logo-d bag can be used to promote your message. . Plastic is getting into these water and food supplies, which results in humans ingesting plastic chemicals when we consume things like seafood. Their removal from the recycling stream costs municipalities close to $1 million a year. Canvas Admiral tote with screen in large cotton canvas. 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. Were going to discuss plastic pollution as a whole briefly and then dive into plastic bags in particular. Cotton tote bags are not only environmentally friendly, but they are also reasonably priced. The European Union is aiming for an 80 percent reduction of plastic bag usage. 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. 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? Regardless of your daily needs or special occasions, there is a great tote bag for you. 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. A life cycle assessment considers raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, and disposal as part of the manufacturing process. Way #4: Use A Refillable Water Bottle. It just breaks apart into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics. You may buy food items such as cereal, pasta, and rice from bulk bins, and then fill a reusable bag or container with them. Even paper teabags contain a small amount of polypropylene, which makes them non-recyclable and non-compostable. Some department stores and grocery stores will also often have a location to drop off clean plastic bags to be recycled. But climate campaigners have recruited an unlikely new ally in their fight to reduce this waste - wax worms, the moth larvae that infest beehives. In another report from Greenpeace, we are told that all this conventional plastic is degraded in the sea by the action of the sun, wind and waves and this degradation entails fragmentation of it into smaller and smaller pieces until it becomes microplastics and nanoplastics that ingest the fish that many people later consume. 3. I myself used to not worry so much about it, thinking that I recycled the bags after using them. At the beginning I tried to find the source of the plastic bags in my home. 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. It is true that sometimes its impossible to find what we like without plastic. In 2014, the U.S. sold over 100 billion plastic beverage bottles, the Container Recycling Institute estimated; 57 percent of them were for water. These cotton briefs measure 14 ounces and come in a variety of sizes. It is recommended that low-density polyethylene bags, or thicker plastic bags commonly found in supermarkets, be used at least four times. EU wants to scrap plastic bag waste. Therefore my first target was the trip to the grocery store. So the question you might be wondering is, where do all these plastic bags and other items come from? San Francisco, CA. Suppose you are someone whod benefit even further by keeping a reusable bag in your purse. 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. 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. In addition, many plastics contain chemicals such as bisphenol A (also called BPA) and phthalates thatare currently in the spotlight of scientists for their possibletoxic effects on animals and humans. As plastic bags tend to get caught in recycling machinery, most recycling facilities cannot recycle plastic bags and therefore do not accept them. #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. I used to be flooded with plastic, from packaged vegetables (for example a bag of potato, onions, and apples, etc. Most curbside recycling collection systems cant handle plastic bags, so you might need to take them to a drop-off recycling location instead. Because plastic never really disappears. This way, you wont need to buy bottled water to consume it at home. It remains in the land which contributes to the rising problem of land pollution. If you're someone who purchases water in plastic containers regularly, an easy way to reduce plastic is to invest in a water filter. Plastic that is not recycled usually ends up in a landfill. RECYCLE whenever/ wherever you can OR opt forrecyclable/ biodegradable bags. Choosing reusable bags can have the most impact of all but be sure to select the most eco-friendly bag you can find that suits your needs. In a scientific study, 159 samples of tap water were analyzed from t 5 populated continents of planet Earth. Take Reusable Bags To The Grocery Store. Replace plastic water bottles with glass or metal or stop outsourcing your water bottle supply. 2. Then, these cloth bags can be placed in your shopping cart or in a tote bag to carry them comfortably to your home. Shards of plastic fester in the stomach because the plastic cannot be properly digested. In fact, pleas from do-gooders, tree . The bags made of Hessian are also more durable than cotton bags, which are also popular. Keep using them! For example we used to buy some small apples that were available only in plastic bags. 2. Certainly, the grocery store was one major source of plastic bags. Here's how they can be reused around your home: 1. Estimates show that approximatelyone millionsea birds also die from plastic yearly. 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. Way #3: Give Up Gum. 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. Reusable shopping bags are very durable and can be reused many times throughout their useful life. 1. Give up gum. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. A single reusable tote can replace up to 31 plastic bags. Hand-carry the items out of the store if you can. [5] Bring fewer clothes to the dry-cleaner's to reduce your bag use as well. Plastic bags simply don't have the reusable potential of cloth or even paper bags. You can get as few as 100 ships within two days. By banning their use, we can help to reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in our landfills and oceans. Youre about to find out why that is, and also why we should get rid of them as quickly as possible. Bring your own cloth bags to the grocery store (or any store!). The proliferation of plastic products in the last 70 years or so has been extraordinary; quite simply, we cannot now live without them. Often store employees are instructed to separate different types of products in different bags or use a bag for only one or two items. As a result, if you use a reusable bag every time you shop, you will have saved a total of 712 million bags over the course of your lifetime. The kitchen bag was replaced with a compostable bag for all waste. Weve discussed how and why plastic bag use has become such a large issue in the above topics. A screen-friendly bag to go with an accent box. Make sure to dispose of your paper bags carefully though; around80 percentof all paper bags end up in landfill. 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. By clicking OK, you agree to our use of cookies. This filter allows you to have pure water at a much lower price than the bottled water you buy. 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. Don't buy beverages bottles in plastic. This will eliminate the need for plastic containers and storage bags. 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! A biodegradable material is one that can decompose into natural chemical elements that reintegrate into nature without harming it thanks to the action of living organisms such as worms, bacteria, and other microorganisms. Alternatively, cloth bags or beeswax-coated cloth wraps work just as well for storing sandwiches, or for covering food or drinks in the refrigerator. 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. Enjoyed this post? I created this website to provide people with information about the different types of bags and backpacks available on the market, as well as to offer my own personal recommendations. Plastic bags are among the largest contributors to plastic pollution. 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? How to reduce plastic? 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. Use Washable, Reusable Silicone Baggies. Personally, I recommend this Doulton water filter that you can install in just 2 minutes in your kitchen tap. Depending on the type and size of the bag, a custom shopper bag can cost anywhere from $1.55 to $2.39. Cotton Canvas Tote Bag Black is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and costs between $4.45 and $7.45. 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. 1. Chicago Northwest Suburbs Sustainability Meetup Group, Virtual Sustainability and Climate Converstion Meetup, Keep a set of reusable canvas bags in the car, Keep a set of reusable produce bags in the car, When checking out of any store ask yourself: Do I really need a bag?, Buy produce that is not packaged in plastic bags, Consider alternatives to plastic bags in the house. Personally, I recommend this Doulton water filter that you can install in just 2 minutes in your kitchen tap. Using a reusable water bottle is a good example. There are more and more stores where you can go with your own bags and buy all these products. Theyre so lightweight that its super easy to pick up by the wind and travel distances. You can also reduce the consumption of plastic, buying rolls of toilet paper that do not come wrapped in plastic. 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. I decided to take those with me every time I went shopping. This is tough to clean by hand, so let a plastic grocery bag do most of the work! 4) If it's okay with your teacher . This business received a 5 out of 5 star rating. How about carrying things out to the pool? Customers can use personalized tote bags to complete the shopping experience by purchasing all of the necessary items. 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. If an animal mistakenly consumes the plastic bags, it may suffer serious health problems and even death. Over the last ten years, we have produced more plastic than during the whole of the last century. 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. Yet residents, on average . Bring your own reusable coffee cup when going out to get beverages. Totes with holes are essential for your companys success. Why is this such a bad thing? 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! Shipping containers lost at sea dump plastic items such as parts of computer monitors, and even Legos, directly into the water. Cotton Shopper Tote Bags are made by the 4imprint Cotton Shopper brand. Bring your own reusable shopping and produce bags to markets, and avoid using single-use plastic bags. (and some estimates are higher!) There are also, to a lesser extent, plastics that come from renewable sources such as corn starch or potato starch that are biodegradable. If you have the option, choose paper bags rather than plastic to carry home your groceries. However, if a tote bag is only used occasionally and is well-made, it can last for years. Conventional plastics are made of chemical petroleum derivatives such as polyethylene and take many years to decompose. Some can trigger various health effects and even alter hormones. Or use a bag for only one or two specific items, wasting the rest of the space. 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. Way #1: Stop Using Plastic Straws. Well talk about zero waste lunches and eliminating Ziploc storage in a different post. According to a report by the World Economic Forum and the Foundation Ellen MacArthur, each year, at least, are dumped into our oceans 8 million tons of plastic, which is equivalent to dump a dump truck full of plastics at sea every minute What happens. In total we are down to one plastic bag per week. 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. If you find you have accumulated a few plastic bags, simply take them with you next time you visit the store and keep using them until they are no longer fit for the job. [6] 4 Stop chewing gum. 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. When buried in landfills, plastics can release chemicals that find their way into groundwater. Plastic chemical exposure links to cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, endocrine disruption, and other ailments. While some plastic can be recycled, the process requires substantial energy and production, making a plastic-free lifestyle a far more sustainable choice. You can find these unique and funny reusable bags above by clicking right here! There are many small ways you can have a big impact. They are sturdy and can hold a lot of items, yet are still lightweight and easy to carry. Oil and natural gas are non-renewable fossil fuel-based resources. A simple way to overcome this is always to keep your bags in your car. Leather is significantly more expensive than these, but they are also more comfortable to wear. For years, he's successfully created, produced, and sold eco-friendly, sustainable kitchenware in all fifty states. 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. That means if everyone in the US switched to just one reusable tote, we could save over 3 billion plastic bags every year. All you have to do is reuse the containers of this type ofproducts you already have at home and fill them in bulk stores like these. To find out more about the damage that plastic bags cause, read our article about thepitfalls of disposable plastic bags. A non-woven polypropylene bag should be used 11 times. Bring Your Own Reusable Shopping Bags According to the EPA, we use over 380 billion plastic bags and wrapsevery year. . Having a specific recycling station could significantly change how plastics are disposed. Every year, 17 million barrels of oil are used to create 50 billion disposable water bottles. In its 2018 report, the DEC found that plastic bags can cause long-term damage to the environment and peoples' health. Jute bags, in my opinion, are the most advanced and effective alternative to plastic bags. The Dubai Can initiative, for instance, aims to . When he's not reading, cooking, or lifting, he's helping families level up their kitchen and dining gear with relevant blog posts. In todays post, you will learn why reducing plastic bags is so important. Plastic tea bags can release about 11 billion microplastics into a single cup of tea! 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. One way to reduce the production of this huge amount of plastic bottles is to install a water filter in your kitchen faucet. When used frequently, a tote bag may only last a few months before the fabric starts to show signs of wear and tear. The range of prices that these brands offer, ranging from affordable to luxury, sets them apart. Plastic can take up to 1000 years to decompose, clogging up landfill and polluting the ocean. Plastic is cheap and incredibly versatile, with properties that make it ideal for many applications. Weve ranked the ways of reducing your impact according to the hierarchy of Refuse, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle. The average person uses about one plastic bag per day, so a reusable bag would replace 365 plastic bags in a year. They contribute to a lot of waste which keeps collecting over the years. 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. Look around, and youll see they are everywhere. If they shop weekly, that's 780 bags a year! At the same time, we know how difficult it can be to break a habit that you've been used to for years. 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. Often, managers instruct store employees to separate different types of products in separate bags. 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. The cost of cleanup per bag (meaning waste collection and processing) is about 17 cents. 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 Those in favor of banning plastic bags argue that it would be one of the most effective ways to reduce the volume of plastic waste in the ocean. 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. Use a metal razor with replaceable . When theyve been used and reused and theyre at the end of their life, the only remaining option is to recycle them. In that case. Discarded plastic bags are hazardous to animals and their habitats. 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. Plastic takes thousands of years to break down and decompose. Way #2: Buy A Reusable Bag. Plastic bags are not biodegradable. Ninety percent of the plastic items in our daily lives are used once and then chucked: grocery. 1. This month I would like to share one step we can all take to reduce our environmental footprint: Reduce the use of plastic bags. If not, invest in a filter system. ), frozen items, not to even mention plastic containers. cardboard is an oversized package. They both come in a set of many sizes which are large enough to contain any amount of vegetables. Remember to add some extra bag you find something you like and that you did not plan to buy. Here are some of the easiest ways you can reduce your use of plastic bags. That is also the reason why I find it really puzzling that we still rely so much on them. Here are a few suggestions: Reduce - Try to reduce your overall consumption, especially of disposable items; Reuse - Reuse what you can, whether it's shopping bags, containers, or straws; A tiny wax worm can dissolve plastic pollution with its saliva, new research has found. Stop buying products packaged in plastic. 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. 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