Reusable bags...why bother?

By: Angela Chambers

That is a question that I have asked myself time and time again. For fiscally minded individuals, the monetary incentive ranging from 1 cent to 6 cents does provide motivation. However, that alone can make the decision of whether or not to run back into the house to grab your trendy reusable shopping bags a difficult one. First understanding the basis for the increasingly fervent transition to fewer plastic shopping bags is helpful. The harsh reality is that even enough the attempt is made to correct the error of our ways by recycling a plastic bag, it may “take anywhere from 15 to 1000 years to decompose.” In addition, the petroleum oil used to create the bag in the first place could be used as fuel for cars. It takes a mere “14 plastic bags to drive a car one mile”.

All to say, by making the extra effort to use fewer plastic bags, we can improve our environment: present and future. While some days this extra effort may seem insurmountable, there are several helpful tips to make this more manageable:

*Keep them in your car
*Purchase a bag that fold neatly into your backpack, purse, messenger bag, etc
*Give them as gifts. Never underestimate the power of peer pressure as you watch your family and friends use them too
*Put a reminder at the top of your shopping list (written or virtual on your phone)

Source:

Erdos, Joseph. (April 9, 2012). “Why You Should Use A Reusable Grocery Bag.” The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/06/reusable-grocery-bags_n_1409065.html