Photo by Maria Lin Kim on Unsplash
Climate change is a reality and even its harshest critics have now recognized the disastrous impact it can have on all living beings across the globe. This awareness means a sharp cut on all things which can exacerbate the already worsening situation. In many parts of the world, plastic bags are still used abundantly with no regard for the harm they cause to our environment. More attention is laid on curbing plastic use since this single source has damaged our environment more than all others combined. Landfills, deep-sea oceans littered with plastics, wreaking havoc on wildlife stands proof. So, the need of the hour is to stop our plastic bag usage on a war footing. The greatest usage of plastic bags is seen in grocery shopping. Fortunately, we have a more viable option available in the form of reusable grocery bags.
The benefits of using reusable bags are manifold, especially in contrast to paper or plastic bags. But their use still lags may be due to a lack of awareness of motivation. Below are compiled some reasons to encourage reusable bag usage to ameliorate the already out-of-the-hand situation.
Pollution Control
Pollution has emerged to be one of the leading causes of the worsening climate situation. Plastic bags even if disposed of properly, which is in itself questionable, take a ridiculously long amount of time to decompose. However, more than half of the time, these plastic bags end up in oceans, streams polluting them and thus delivering devastating blows to already precarious sea life. Reusable bags can help in lowering the use of plastic bags in huge quantities and subsequently pollution.
Recycling Issues
It is not easy to recycle plastic bags. As they are made of cheap and thin plastic, they can not be recycled effectively. People find it more convenient to dump them than to go through recycling them. On the other hand, reusable bags don’t need recycling routinely as they are to be reused. Moreover, it is comparatively easy to recycle them.
Resource Management
Plastic bags though seem negligible are used in enormous quantities daily. Huge quantities of oil are used to run the machines for the production of plastic bags. This is a major drag on already limited petroleum resources. The exorbitant bills are added to it. Reusable bags are mostly made of cotton which though consumes considerable water is far better than plastic bags. With smart farming, this excess water usage can also be controlled.
Moreover, you buy a plastic bag at every purchase which quickly adds up to a considerable amount. Using reusable bags can save you some bucks as you don’t have to buy one every time.
Versatile and Durable
Plastic bags are likely to rip off easily. Leakages are also quite common. Many a time we see groceries scattered on the pavements because the handle of the bag got ripped or a hole appeared in the bag. No such kind of problem is to be expected with reusable bags as they are strong and durable.
Reusable bags can be personalized and used in many places in addition to shopping. You can use them to organize stuff in the kitchen, store something in the closet or use them as your daily carrier.
