Reuse your Plastic Bag Now!

The use of reusable bags has become established in grocery stores across the country, but many other types of businesses are slowly taking off. At some point, you will most likely take a plastic bag from some store. When you collect plastic bags, how can you reuse them?

Plastic bags have become popular because they are a cheap and affordable way to package groceries and merchandise. The bag can be disposed of after a single use. While convenient in theory, disposable plastic bags have serious environmental implications. A single plastic bag will never fade away. Unlike other materials, plastic is not biodegradable, it just breaks down into smaller pieces of plastic (which is actually much worse than larger pieces because they can’t be picked up).

Plastic bags:

• It is never biodegradable.
• Make animals choke and die.
• Use fossil fuels to create them, increasing our dependence on foreign oil.
• They disgust and get caught on car antennas, mufflers and get caught in engines.

Plastic shopping bags can be recycled first. Many grocery stores accept plastic bags for recycling (usually the bin is near the entrance or near the can exchange center).

Recycling of plastic bags versus reusing plastic bags

Recycling almost always uses more energy than reuse. By reusing, you will give your product a second life. When you recycle something, you will be using energy to turn that product into something else that can use up energy and produce emissions.

Five reasons why you should bring your own bag.

Plastic has a very negative impact on the environment as well as our society. The disadvantages far outweigh the positives of these one-time inconveniences. Here are some reasons why you should consider switching to reusable bags over plastic ones:

1. 1. Taking your own bag means you’ll carry less back and forth. Most reusable bags hold much more than traditional disposable bags. Less travel back and forth from the car!
   2. Every time you use your own bag you will receive a small credit from the grocery store. This is usually between 5 and 10 cents, which can add up over time.
   3. Using our own bag reduces our dependence on foreign oil. Plastic uses fossil fuels that are largely found in countries that do not have the best intentions in the western world. Instead, cast your vote for locally produced reusable bags.
   4. You don’t have to worry about throwing away, recycling or reusing disposable bags. By reusing your own bags, you’ll have less clutter and less garbage.
   5. You will send a green message to your children. When they see that you are using your own bags, they will pay attention to it and will want to do the same in their lives.

Ways to reuse plastic bags.

1. 1. • One of the most popular ways to reuse plastic bags is as a garbage bag.
      • Place them in small trash barrels in the bathroom, bedrooms, basement and near the cat litter box.

Another popular use for them is as a dog poop bag. If you are going for a walk, take some of these bags with you.

1. You can also reuse plastic bags as packaging. If you are shipping an item on eBay or sending something to a friend, the bags can act like a pillow, as can packing peanuts if you use enough of them.
2. Keep a plastic bag in your car to contain all the rubbish that accumulates in the car. Then just tie it up, throw it away and use another bag.
3. Donate your plastic bags to your local thrift store or charity. Thanks to this, they do not have to buy completely new bags.
4. Post an ad on Craigslist for your bags. Local businesses may want to take advantage of them
5. Use your bag to store clutter and debris that could otherwise leave leaks. This is especially useful for soups and liquids.
6. Think about the things you would traditionally use plastic for and replace them with shopping bags. If you usually put your lawn leaves in garbage bags, keep the larger shopping bags and toss the leaves in there.
7. Wrap the bag around bags of flour, sugar, and other messy baking ingredients. This can help control clutter and make cleaning easier.