Yay, No More Plastic Bags!

I get most of my grocery shopping done in Santa Monica at the farmers market and the Co-op. Both of these places have signs up to warn about the new law (Santa Monica Plastic Bag Ban) going into effect on September 1, 2011. Yaaaay, I couldn’t be happier about this! My eyes even welled up when I saw it. To me, it’s a dream come true! I have a friend who will also really appreciate this; you know who you are! : ) What this means is, starting next month, plastic bags are prohibited, paper ones will cost you 10¢ and all retailers (at least so I heard) will stop bagging your new shirt or book or whatever you’re buying…

 “Single-use bags, both paper and plastic, represent a huge threat to the environment. This threat is not only related to the sheer volume of them ending up in landfill, but also to the resources needed to produce, transport and (occasionally) recycle them, and the emissions resulting from these processes. Single-use plastic bags are also well known for their interference in ecosystems and the part they play in flood events, where they clog pipes and drains.”

Plastic (and Paper) Bag Facts
- Approx. 380 billion plastic bags are used in the United States every year. That’s more than 1,200 bags per US resident, per year.
- Approx. 100 billion of the 380 billion are plastic shopping bags.
- An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags.
- Only 1 to 2% of plastic bags in the USA end up getting recycled.
- Thousands of marine animals and more than 1 million birds die each year as a result of plastic pollution.
- The United Nations Environment Program estimates that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of ocean.
- Plastic bags are often mistakenly ingested by animals, clogging their intestines, which results in death by starvation. Other animals or birds become entangled in plastic bags and drown or can’t fly as a result.
- Even when they photo-degrade in landfill, the plastic from single-use bags never goes away, and toxic particles can enter the food chain when they are ingested by unsuspecting animals.
- Greenpeace says that at least 267 marine species are known to have suffered from getting entangled in or ingesting marine debris. Nearly 90% of that debris is plastic.
- Americans consume more than 10 billion paper bags per year. Approximately 14 million trees are cut down every year for paper bag production.
- Most of the pulp used for paper shopping bags is virgin pulp, as it is considered stronger.
- Paper production requires hundreds of thousands of gallons of water as well as toxic chemicals like sulphurous acid, which can lead to acid rain and water pollution.

What Can I Do to Make a Difference?
I grew up in Europe and whenever we went shopping we took woven baskets and other bags to fill up at the store or market. Whoever didn’t have a bag had to pay a good chunk of change for one! Genius, isn’t it? : )
Well, here are some simple things you can do:
- If you drive, always have a bunch of bags in your trunk. That way even if you didn’t plan on stopping by the grocery store on your way home you will have bags handy.
- Go shopping with your existing bags
- Buy a reusable bag to take with you at all times. You can buy ones that pack into a ball the size of a small apple
- If where you live bags will still be given out and you feel you must take advantage of it then use them for your trash (or reuse them for anything else) instead of buying plastic trash liners.
- For buying produce, either do not use bags, or again, bring your own, or reuse the ones you got before. You may also buy little produce baggies made of natural fibers, such as hemp! What else could you ask for!
On rare occasions, when I already have my bags full or forgot one, I stuff as much of the groceries I buy into my purse as I can and carry the rest in my hands. It really is possible to make a difference! Bag single use bags!

Reference: http://www.envirosax.com/plastic_bag_facts