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Plastic Bag Facts

Here are some plastic bag facts from the Mayor’s Green Team email as they strive to bring awareness about the importance of bringing your own bag to the grocery store and farmer’s market.

  • Plastic bags are made from petroleum OIL and natural gas.
  • Americans use more than 380 billion plastic bags annually.
  • The US imports 12 million barrels of oil annually to produce plastic bags.
  • Plastic bags do not biodegrade.
  • A plastic vortex twice the size of Texas swirls in the Pacific Ocean between San Francisco and Hawaii.
  • Recycling is not a viable option. Consumption can be reduced by carrying reusable bags.
  • The best alternative is reusable bags.
  • There are a growing number of countries that are banning or taxing plastic bags. In the U.S., cities are beginning to do the same.

Remember that a great alternative is Ruthie Pearl . =)

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This entry was posted on Friday, July 25th, 2008 at 1:41 pm and is filed under environment, recycling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • Greg
    Late to the party here...but the Whole Food bags fit the bill as hip and manly, because they are completely utilitarian...which is the definition of manliness (unless you are talking some kind of stylish metrosexual shopping bag, in which case I have no help for you).

    Also? Plastic is plastic is plastic, so I avoid plastic bags at places like Barnes and Noble or Drugstores...I just carry the items out with me. I told one cashier I was trying to save a plastic tree, and he stopped, thought about it, and asked, "I wonder if this really DOES help save a real tree?". I thought about it, and said, "Well, saving plastic means reducing oil consumption, which reduces the need for Ethanol, which stops ADM from razing the next million acres of Brazilian rainforest to create Sugarcane ethanol...so yeah, I guess it does save a real tree...which reduces Carbon Dioxide."

    http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,917...
  • WasatchGirl
    Adumb,
    Hmmm.... good question. I don't right now, but will start looking around.
    Thanks for the comment.
    Rachel
  • Gumby Adumb
    Got recommendations on a hip-yet-manly bag?
  • Chris,
    Great info... thanks for posting. And good job on the backpack and reusable.
    Best.
    Rachel
  • ChrisV
    Seattle City Council is in the process of trying to pass a tax on paper and plastic bags at grocery stores and the like. It would also ban polystyrene food and drink containers. LA just did the same thing.

    http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/371834_bags...

    I've got a backpack and a reusable :)
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