Do you want to do something very simple to help our environment ? I am going to start by doing this today.
The next time I go grocery shopping or christmas shopping i will ask for paper bags and then estimate how many i would probably use each time I go. Then I am going to buy several large cloth bags (like the beach bags you see at wal-mart) and i will use them for my groceries and keep them in my car at all times. Just like I used to do in Germany, where they don't even offer you bags of any kind. Please start! Thanks for saving our rivers, lakes and landfills. below are some interesting places to read about the destruction the bags have caused.
http://environment.about.com/od/recycling/a/reusablebags.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/science/features/bags/default.htm
http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Ban-Polybags-Darjeeling-India.tm.htm
2006-12-13 09:38:42 · 10 answers · asked by Treehugger72 1 in Environment
My mum's even gone one step further...she's got this great bag she uses which has got "say NO to plastic bags" (or something similar) printed on the side of it in HUGE letters above the charity's web address. It's fantastic for spreading the message when she goes shopping and loads of people have come up to her and asked about it cos they want one too!
I will try and find the website....I've been meaning to get one for myself actually.
2006-12-13 09:56:17 · answer #1 · answered by sarah j 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stop using plastic bags. Well over a billion single-use plastic bags are given out for free each day. Plastic bags end up as litter that fouls the landscape, and kill thousands of marine mammals every year that mistake the floating bags for food. Plastic bags that get buried in landfills may take up to 1,000 years to break down, and in the process they separate into smaller and smaller toxic particles that contaminate soil and water. Furthermore, the production of plastic bags consume millions of gallons of oil that could be used for fuel and heating. Plastic bags contribute to global warming as they release their carbon as carbon dioxide and methane in landfills.
Paper bags, which many people consider a better alternative to plastic bags, carry their own set of environmental problems. But if you decline to use both paper and plastic bags, then how do you get your groceries/shopping home? The answer, according to many environmentalists, is high-quality reusable shopping bags made of materials that don't harm the environment during production and don't need to be discarded after each use. A bag that makes it easy for those slow-on-the-uptake to get the hint is available at http://www.cafepress.com/ecoresponsible
The Benefits
Save oil and/or trees. In the US, about 12 million barrels of oil and 14 million trees go to producing plastic and paper bags each year.
Reusing makes cents. Stores like Albertsons and Wild Oats offer a 5-penny discount if you bring your own.
Be a role model. Other shoppers'll watch and learn.
Make sure plastic bags don't harm sea creatures. They're one of the 12 most commonly found items in coastal cleanups.
For more information read up on the cause at http://responsibleconservation.blogspot.com/ and then take action and buy a reusable bag at http://www.cafepress.com/ecoresponsible, about two dollars from every purchase goes to support The Center for Responsible Conservation!
2006-12-14 12:39:52 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Give them up? HELL YES! I have always hated those damn plastic things. The handles rip, the bottom falls out, and they only hold a few items each. Some genius thought it would save a few trees to stop using paper, not realizing that the plastic would not get recycled, and isn't biodegradable.
Time for a change, and kudos to you for making it happen.
2006-12-13 17:53:44 · answer #3 · answered by john k 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Good girl.
I have been using the cloth bags for over 2 years now.
2006-12-13 17:41:29 · answer #4 · answered by protos2222222 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think this is a great idea. I have several reusble bags at home that just are hanging on a door knob. I think I'll put them to good use.
2006-12-13 17:48:56 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Great idea! some grocery stores also are selling the cloth bags, so you can start the next time you go grocery shopping! :)
2006-12-13 17:41:32 · answer #6 · answered by mcmillae 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
good for you.
i did that myself for a while. i felt very efficient.
now i need the bags for re-using to clean up after my dog, if you catch my drift.
2006-12-13 17:55:43 · answer #7 · answered by airie53 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Great plan I'll definitely give it a whirl
2006-12-13 17:46:56 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Umm...no.
2006-12-13 17:40:58 · answer #9 · answered by ctaylor717 2 · 2⤊ 7⤋
Yes, give me paper please.
2006-12-13 17:45:36 · answer #10 · answered by M_Palidin_2001 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋