Considering issues of shopping bags and the environment

Our groceries are in most cases packed in shopping bags thus enabling us to carry them home easily. Many of us probably pay little or no attention to these shopping bags once we are safely back home but did you know that conventional shopping bags have serious negative consequences on the environment? Did you know that as shoppers we can help to alleviate some of these effects by adopting reusable bags for shopping?

To begin with, why are plastic shopping bags harmful to the environment? Regular shopping bags are conventionally made from non renewable petrochemicals. The extraction and processing of these materials produces a great deal of greenhouse emissions e.g. carbon dioxide and which are responsible for climate change. If that is not bad enough, waste plastic bags are often burnt upon disposal further adding to the amounts of toxic gases in the atmosphere.

It is estimated that up to 100 billion plastic bags are used each year, most of which are discarded soon after use. This amount of waste plastic is harmful to the environment for a number of reasons. To begin with, plastic is not biodegradable hence it stays in the environment for very many years. Plastic bags are accordingly very likely to clog rivers, drainage systems and water bodies if we discard them about carelessly because they do not decompose naturally. Not only are such plastic bags visually unappealing, they also pose a danger to wildlife. Stuffing plastic waste in landfills is not a solution either because of the fact that they are not biodegradable. Then again, only less than 3% of plastics are recycled. It is therefore obvious that if we continue using plastic shopping bags as we do presently our environment will continue to be impacted negatively.

It therefore makes much sense to adopt reusable bags for our shopping requirements. Unlike plastic shopping bags, reusable bags are meant to be used many times before being disposed. Such bags are made of durable materials such as organic cotton and which are both renewable and environmentally-friendly. As such, as opposed to plastic bags, we do not have to worry about the environment's safety. reusable bags can also be made from recycled materials and so we gain the added benefit of putting waste materials to good use.

Many manufacturers ensure that their bags are comfortable and sturdy enough thus allowing them to carry more weight than their plastic counterparts of a similar size. They are thus typically fitted with long handles that are easier to grasp. Reusable bags are also washable and so one need not worry about carrying unsightly bags around.