The Challenge of Plastic Bags

Today's post is courtesy of Megan Shonka, who responded to our open call for guest bloggers. Her passion: plastic bags!

Since their rise to widespread usage in the 1970s, plastic bags have been creating a pollution problem for our beloved earth. Most of the bags in circulation today are used only once (which, unfortunately, was their intent) and then tossed in the trash. These bags will end up in a landfill and take hundreds of years to decompose. Those that don’t make it to the landfill will escape the trash pickup, with the help of some wind, and end up on the side of the road, or in sewer drains that will eventually lead to the ocean.

A handful of cities around the world are taking action and banning plastic bags in their stores. This is a good solution to stop the source, but if not world-wide, it will still take decades to clean up the damage that has already been done. Some recycling centers are popping up, and most grocery stores now have a bin near the entry that you can drop your used bags into for recycling. Often times, people will be ok with using the plastic as long as they know it is getting “recycled”. The problem with THESE solutions is that they are not air tight. Banning bags only takes care of the source, and recycling them, most of the time, means shipping them overseas to have them sorted through by workers being paid minimal wages and working in horrible conditions. It’s not the prettiest picture when we think of the beneficial word “recycling”.

The plastic bag and other single use “tossable” plastic have long been a thorn in the side of those trying to make a difference in the environment. Its abundance seems overwhelming. Even if you were the type who would stop your car on the side of the road and get out to gather up strewnabout plastic items, you would NEVER be able to accomplish the task of cleaning the entire road by yourself. To even try seems almost futile. For most people, who aren’t in the know about the down side to these bags, their lives move forward with no knowledge that the things they are touching on a daily basis are adding to the major pollution of our land and oceans. This issue continues to grow, as education about the need for a solution fails to reach the masses. Fortunately, there are many people out there who are working on efforts to lessen our dependence on plastic, and in some cases ban it altogether.

Enter the reusable bag. What was once thought of as the “hippie’s” grocery tote less than a decade ago, has become a common practice among more and more families. Some grocery stores are even jumping in with incentives for their customers to use them by giving customers discounts on their grocery total. In the past 10 years (give or take) the “go green” movement has reached a monumental level. It has even taken on political status as presidential debates are keying in to environmental questions spurred on by the voters’ need to know. The fact that the environment is something voters are more concerned about is a start to making changes, but it’s not the whole battle. Blanketed, seemingly simple, solutions are being pushed by extreme earth warriors. For example, several cities around the U. S. have banned plastic bags. It’s an amazing feat, and those who have accomplished it should be commended! But what about those places who haven’t banned them yet, or aren’t even considering it?

There are many ways that you, the consumer, can do your part to minimize or even eliminate your plastic waste. The earth lover’s mantra “REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE” isn’t just a good idea, it’s actually formulated to help everyone eliminate their waste (including plastic). Let’s break this down, shall we?

The first step is “reduce”. This means reducing the potential waste items that enter your home. This can be done by simply making a choice of what you purchase based on its packaging and ability to be recycled. This step, often overlooked, is actually the biggest impact you can make when going earth friendly…hence why it’s the FIRST step in the mantra.

Second, there’s the “reuse” aspect of this ideal. This is meant to encourage people to eliminate one time use items…or at least use them more than once, if possible. There are multiple ways to give plastic bags a second and third life.

Then, finally, the step that everyone seems familiar with (even if they don’t do it themselves) is “recycle”. The reason that this is the last step is because most of the elimination of waste should have been just about completed by the first two steps. This is the last step, because it’s meant to take anything left over from your first two efforts. Unfortunately, recycling facilities are not available to everyone, and those that do have access may choose not to recycle. The end result is a massive amount of waste that is destined for the landfill-though not everything placed in the trash makes it there. With a design that resembles a parachute, it’s easy to see why so many plastic bags are floating around littering the roadways, fields and trees in our communities. When they get loose, and are unaccounted for, they often find their way to a sewer, and ultimately, the ocean.

The overwhelming problem of what to do with plastic bags will not be solved overnight…and probably not even in our children’s lifetime. However, there are a number of ways to do our part to divert these bags from ending up in a landfill. First, we can refuse to get plastic bags at the store and bring our own; an ever increasing trend. Some stores will even give you a credit back on your grocery bill for using the reusable bags! But, what about all those plastic bags that you’ve accumulated from the “pre-bring-your-own- bag” stage of your life? You could just walk them to the plastic bag recycling bin at your grocery store…but remember that not-so-pretty picture of the end result?

Stay tuned for part two, when Megan offers her favorite solution to the plastic bag problem.

Megan is a green geek whose passion for the earth is reflected in her everyday life. She spends her free time working on new and innovative upcycling projects, learning about the benefits of eating natural food, and teaching others how to go green in their own way! You can check out her personal upcycling Facebook page here.