Ecomemphis

It’s no secret that plastic bags are “bad for the environment,” but did you know how bad? Most likely, that answer is NO.

This powerpoint highlights the incredible dangers plastic bags create for our streets, communities, animals, oceans and world. A mindblowing fact is that if 1 out of 5 people used 1 one reuseable bag for a grocery run, we would save 1,330,560,000,000 plastic bags over our lifetime. That’s a lot of plastic bags that won’t be piling up in our landfills or washing up on our coastlines.

Consider writing your local government officials to create a ban or tax on using plastic bags–San Francisco has already banned them, and Oakland and Boston are considering a ban. More cities across the U.S. could join in this effort to cut down on using plastic bags. Recycling these bags is not the best solution, for according to the data from the San Francisco Department for the Environment, “it costs $4,000 to process and recycle 1 ton of plastic bags, which can be sold on the commodities market for $32.”

Just view the powerpoint and let it sink in. Consider taking reusable bags you have laying around the house next time you go to the grocery store. Check out sites like Reusable Bags, EcoBags or 1 Bag at a Time for more useful information.