The United States alone uses roughly 100 billion plastic bags per year, meaning that the average person uses anywhere from 350 to 500 bags per year. This is alarming for a great number of reasons, and by itself this statistic should be enough to convince many people that they should buy reusable grocery bags. If you need more convincing, here are a few other reasons to buy reusable grocery bags instead of using plastic ones at the checkout counter.
1. Pollution
Since plastic doesn't biodegrade, it is eventually broken down by the sun, but it never fully decomposes. Instead, it breaks down into small enough particles that rainwater can carry it into creeks, rivers, lakes, and oceans. When plastic makes it into the water supply, countless marine animals eat it and then die.
2. Wastefulness
Plastic bags are wasteful of the diminishing supply of petroleum we have. Whether you're an environmentalist or not, plastic bags needlessly waste our natural resources. If you drive a fast, gas-guzzling car, just know that plastic bag manufacturing is contributing to the ever-dwindling supply of gas.
3. Aesthetics
Plastic bags are ugly. Reusable bags are not ugly. Pretty simple, right?
4. Durability
If you've ever come back from the supermarket carrying about a million plastic bags full of food in order to avoid taking more than one trip from the car to the door, you might have had one of those bags rip. Eggs cracked over the sidewalk is always a bummer. The point is, plastic bags are weak. Reusable bags are strong.
5. Versatility
Plastic bags pretty much have two uses. First, carrying food inside. Second, as a trash bag for small garbage cans. Reusable bags can be used as a picnic basket, a beach bag, or even a gym bag.
6. Storage Space
This might seem insignificant, but who doesn't have a closet filled with old bags from the supermarket. We save them knowing they aren't ever going to be used. They just take up space. Not much space, but enough that getting rid of them would make a difference at home.
When it comes to the benefits of reusable bags, you would have a hard time finding a circumstance in which they are worse than plastic bags. The fact is, there is no reason not to switch to reusable bags today.
