Our planet is in danger if we don’t start changing our harmful ways soon. Plastic is known to be very harmful to the environment, and it is everywhere. Groceries are a must for everyone. Everyone needs to do food shopping once every while to stay alive and happy. When done with the shopping, they must take the things home. This is usually done in plastic bags. Well, at least that was the case a few years ago. Today, however, things are changing. People have understood the damage plastic causes, and new materials to replace plastic have entered the scene. To the rescue are reusable grocery bags.
Why Use Reusable Grocery Bags
The cashier asks a common question when getting ready to leave the grocery store: “Paper or plastic?” You may be planning on recycling or reusing that paper bag or using plastic shopping bags to clean up around the house. That is the greener option. But the reality is that you can’t go wrong, whether you choose paper or plastic, because there are better options out there. These are reusable shopping bags. Across the world, there is a growing movement of consumers purchasing reusable bags to bring into stores and use to take products home. Although the cost of purchasing the bag is slightly higher, these bags have many advantages, especially regarding reducing plastic bag pollution. They also reduce the impact of plastic on the environment.
There are several reasons why plastic bags are bad for the environment. There’s a lot about plastic bags, like how they’re made, how they can’t be recycled, tend to end up in landfills, and what’s worse, they take years to break down and cause problems. Paper bags are recyclable and take no time to decompose without going to a landfill, thus avoiding some of the pitfalls of plastic bags. Nonetheless, according to NASA, paper bags are made from sustainable wood or recycled materials, requiring much energy. These are only some reasons for using reusable grocery bags instead of paper or plastic bags. There are more specific benefits of reusable bags, such as the negative effects of plastic bag contamination and many others. This is why you must carry your carry-on bag.
Benefits of Reusable Grocery Bags
We have some benefits to convince you more about why you should switch to these grocery bags. These bags are great, and here’s why;
Save Resources
Plastic bags may look light and harmless but have a surprisingly large environmental footprint. About 8% of the world’s total oil production is used to make plastic, and twelve million barrels of oil are used to make the thirty billion plastic bags consumed annually in the United States. Additionally, plastic bags use fossil fuels when shipped domestically or worldwide. The average usage time of one shopping bag is only twelve minutes. After this time, the plastic bag becomes garbage.
Local governments and governments are spending millions of dollars on dealing with the explosive amount of plastic waste. The California Integrated Waste Management Board estimates taxpayers spend twenty-five million dollars annually to landfill plastic bags. The city of San Jose alone spends three million dollars annually removing plastic bags from waterways. Although they appear small and light, they have a much larger environmental footprint than you think. This also includes the energy required to make them. Plastic bags use almost twelve million barrels of oil in their preparation. On a smaller scale, he can drive his car a mile on the same gasoline it takes to make one plastic bag.
Reduce Pollution
Plastic pollution is a serious global problem. Because plastic can take at least five hundred years to biodegrade, millions of tons of plastic waste fill landfills and end up in the ocean. This plastic waste indiscriminately kills wildlife by trapping, strangling, suffocating, and poisoning it. Around one million sea birds and a hundred thousand marine animals die yearly from ingesting plastic. Also, plastic breaks down into smaller pieces over time, making it easy for animals to swallow it. These tiny microplastics move through ecosystems and food chains, absorbing toxins that are later released when ingested.
Microplastics are now found in our soil, drinking water, and countless animals, and it even has also been found in the human placenta. The impact of plastic on the environment is devastating. Plastic products like plastic bags take fifteen to thousand years to decompose, even if they end up in landfills instead of flowing into bodies of water such as streams, rivers, and oceans or drifting nearby.
Reduce Costs
Many places, including the United States, now impose consumer plastic bag taxes. A plastic bag that only costs a dime may look cheap, but the cost adds up quickly. It was found that the average household in the United States uses fifteen thousand plastic bags yearly. At five cents per bag, you’re spending seventy-five dollars a year. On the other hand, a reusable bag is a one-time purchase that you can use for as long as you want o require. It costs a few dollars and is readily available at most retailers and supermarkets. Some locations offer free reusable bags with minimum orders or discounts to shoppers who bring their reusable bags.
Protects Nature
Over a hundred thousand marine animals are killed yearly in the ocean by mistaking plastic grocery bags for food. Plastic bags are very lightweight and can get caught in trees by the wind. This can lead to the trapping of small animals, killing even more wildlife in the environment. Shifting to reusable grocery bags will prevent such a thing from happening.
Better Quality and Higher Durability
The plastic bags at the register are disposable. They are usually flimsy and flimsy as they are only meant to last until you get home from the store. We’ve all had the experience of a plastic bag being torn by a sharp object or a handle torn off by a heavy load. On the other hand, reusable bags are sturdier and more durable. They are heavier than regular plastic bags and are hard to tear even when filled with sharp objects. This means faster packing, fewer bags to carry, fewer trips in and out of the car, and easier loading and unloading.
Unlike plastic bags, reusable bags are less likely to have their handles ripped or punctured by sharp objects. Your purchases will likely survive the trip to and from the store with these bags. You can easily track where the bag has been and what germs it may contain.
Save Space
Even if you plan to reuse grocery store plastic bags to dispose of garbage or pick up dog poop, using the number of bags you collect may not be possible. Everyone has a kitchen drawer full of plastic bags or multiple plastic bags crammed with other plastic bags, taking up valuable storage space. As we become more aware of how clutter can negatively impact our mental and emotional health, more and more people are seeking a cleaner, minimalist lifestyle. Instead of a constant stream of plastic bags to find, switch to reusable bags: less plastic bag collection and more space for your valuables.
Using these bags can reduce the resource consumption associated with manufacturing and disposing of plastic bags and help protect the environment from plastic pollution. At the same time, you can save money, look stylish and enjoy a better quality of life. There are many reasons to switch to these bags and say goodbye to plastic bags.
Multipurpose
Reusable grocery bags can be used for more than just carrying groceries. A nice reusable bag is a well-manufactured tote and can be used for many things. You can take it with you everywhere and fit anything inside it. You can take these bags anywhere. They are highly convenient and have enough space to store many things. You can take these bags on a picnic as well.
Avoid Disposing Problems
Even if someone with good intentions started recycling plastic bags, many recycling machines would need help to handle the task. Bags get caught on conveyor belts and wheels, jamming machines. Separation from other recycled products may take a lot of work. Or they may drift elsewhere in the recycling facility or even out of the facility. The best way to recycle these bags is to bring them to a dedicated plastic bag drop-off point.
Contamination
There needs to be more than recycling plastic bags to solve the problem. Even if you recycle them, they are still dangerous for our environment. The reusable bags, on the other hand, have no such problem. You can use them as much as you want, and they will not cause any harm to the environment. They will not add to the contamination.
Huge Variety
Reusable shopping bags come in a variety of materials and designs. From cotton and canvas to fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles, consumers have a huge choice. Materials vary, but all reusable shopping bags are lightweight, durable, washable, and versatile for years to come. These bags are much more attractive than boring disposable plastic bags.
These are ten reasons you should shift to reusable grocery bags today!
