Reusable Shopping Bags

Buying reusable shopping bags is a great place to begin when starting Your Green Life. It is an easy and inexpensive change. You can buy reusable shopping bags at almost any grocery store, Walmart, Target and at countles sites online. They are very inexpensive, ranging from $1.00 - $2.00. The only thing I reccomend to look for when buying your bags is that they are made with a good and sturdy fabric so they stand up on their own. Be sure to keep them in your car so when your out and about, you will always have them when you need them.

The manufacturing process of plastic bags is extremely polluting. They do not biodegrade so they will be in our landfills for thousnads of years. In the garbage process, millions escape and end up in our rivers and oceans, choking and killing many creatures. Don't put your plastic bags in the curbside recycle bin, for the most part they are not recyclable. Check your local grocery store, many have recycle bins for plastic bags only, usually near the entrance or in the parking lot, so the bags can be taken to an appropriate facility.

Paper bags are not any better. Most paper bags that people try put into recycling bins are shipped over to China traveling thousands of miles burning fossil fuel where the recycling process is not only costly but seriously polluting. Your probably better off just throwing the paper bags in the trash. So, they have to cut down trees to make the paper bags plus the process to make and recycle the bags puts dangerous chemicals in the air.

Using reusable shopping bags is hands down a very Eco-friendly decision and purchase. So, the next time your at the store and you are asked the question, "paper or plastic?" , you know the answer.