Shopping Bags

Plastic is one of the worst trash creations ever. It does not decompose nicely and we use huge quantities of it. I compost and recycle, and have noticed that most of my garbage is composed of platic packaging.

The problem with plastic is so serious that the United Nations has called for a complete worldwide ban on plastic grocery bags. "Single-use plastic bags which choke marine life should be banned or phased out rapidly everywhere," said Achim Steiner, head of the U.N. Environment Program. "There is simply zero justification for manufacturing them any more, anywhere." Although some people think recycling is a cure, and recycling plastic bags is on the rise, in the US alone it is estimated that 90 BILLION BAGS a year are not recycled.

An easy way to address this is to decrease the amount of plastic you bring home from the grocery store every week. I have two methods:

1. Use cloth bags at check-out

2. Instead of using plastic for my produce, I started collecting and reusing the mesh bags you get when you guy 5-10 lb packages of onions, potatoes, lemons, etc. Run a ribbon through the mesh around the top to use as a tie, then use these at the store. This is a 1 minute project - give it a try!